


Into the Woods

by clexawarrior



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Best Friends, Bisexual Female Character, Childhood Friends, Drama, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Lesbian Character, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-06-07 01:20:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 73,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6779239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clexawarrior/pseuds/clexawarrior
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After meeting when they are five years old, Clarke and Lexa quickly become best friends. Six years later, Lexa’s family moves away, and the two young girls are forced to part. When they end up going to the same college, they decide to rekindle their old friendship right away. However, it isn’t as easy as they think when a certain brunette begins to develop feelings for her blond best friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everyone! For those of you who know me, I'm starting a new story, and I'm pretty excited, so I hope you enjoy it! My beta reader for this story is the lovely ToriWritesStories. If you haven't read her stories yet, you should seriously check them out because they are amazing! Be sure to drop me a comment and let me know what you think of this story!

Clarke listened to the rustle of her parents unpacking boxes as she contemplated whether or not she wanted to go outside. She and her family had just gotten to their new home, and her mother had told her to go out and play while she and her father unpacked their things. But Clarke did not know what to play with, since all of her toys were still in boxes somewhere. She wished she could just go outside and play with her best friend Wells. He used to live next door, but now she was miles away from him. She and Wells were supposed to start kindergarten this year, and they had both been really excited, until her mom had announced two months ago that they would be moving at the start of the summer. Now she would be starting kindergarten all alone. Her mom had promised she could call Wells tonight, but that didn't make her feel any better. However, she decided to go outside anyway, like her mom had told her to, and see if she could find something to do.

She stepped out onto her front porch, closing the door behind her, and gazed out at her new street. That's when she noticed two kids down the street, a boy and a girl not much older than her, racing remote control cars, one red and one pink. Clarke, instantly intrigued, slowly made her way over to them, but before she could reach them, another little girl with a tangle of brown curls walked over to the older girl and tugged at her sleeve, seemingly begging for a turn to play. The older girl groaned but relented, exchanging a few more words with the younger girl before heading towards the backyard with the boy. The young brunette grabbed the remote for the pink car and was about to start playing with it when Clarke approached.

"Hi. Can I play, too?" Clarke asked.

"Sure," the other girl said, adding, "Which one do you want?"

Clarke was a bit taken aback by the question, because the other girl obviously wanted the pink one, but she was polite enough to let Clarke have it if she wanted. Even though the girl had offered, Clarke did not want to be rude, and to be honest, she would have picked the red one anyway.

"I'll have red," she said, and the brunette was obviously relieved.

"Cool," she said, handing Clarke the controller for the red car, "I'm Lexa."

"I'm Clarke," Clarke told her.

"Clarke? That's a boy name," Lexa pointed out.

"No, it's not! My mom says it can be a girl name, too," Clarke protested.

"I didn't mean it like that. I was just surprised, but I like it. Clarke," she said, trying the name out again. "It's pretty."

"Thank you," Clarke said.

Lexa turned back to her controller then and began to move her car, quickly running after it as it moved, laughing. Clarke started to make her car move as well, and she wondered why the other girl was running after the car. The two kids who were playing with them before hadn't been chasing them. As she watched Lexa run after her car, though, she looked like she was having so much fun that Clarke just had to try it out for herself. Running after her car, her blond hair flying in the wind, made her feel better than she had since her parents told her they were moving, and she actually laughed. She had never played with remote control cars before and was honestly having so much fun, she almost forgot Lexa was with her. That was, until Lexa began to chase Clarke with her car. Clarke squealed and ran, keeping her car in front of her as best as she could, while trying to stay away from the threat behind her. She ran as fast as she could up and down the street and evaded Lexa's car for a good while, but Lexa never gave up, chasing Clarke until her car finally bumped against the back of Clarke's small white shoe.

"Got you!" Lexa yelled, "You have to catch me now."

"Oh, it's on," Clarke said.

She ran down the street after Lexa, her car in front of her, both girls laughing away. She hadn't realized it at the time, but as she ran after Lexa, she never even thought of her old house once.

* * *

The girls chased each other for quite a while, but once the sun started to go down, Clarke stopped, resting her hands on her knees. Lexa's car bumped into her foot.

"Why'd you stop?" she asked.

"I'm thirsty," Clarke explained.

"Why didn't you say so?" Lexa asked, "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Clarke asked.

"To get a drink," Lexa said.

Lexa walked up to a nice-sized, two-story, white house and led the way inside. Clarke followed her down a hallway filled with pictures of Lexa and the two kids she had seen before, whom she could only assume were Lexa's brother and sister. When they reached the kitchen, Lexa pulled a stool in front of the stainless steel refrigerator, stood up on it, and opened the doors, looking back to Clarke.

"Do you want lemonade, fruit punch, or apple juice?" Lexa asked.

"I'll have fruit punch, please," Clarke said politely.

Lexa pulled a fruit punch juice box out of the fridge, opening the straw and putting it in before handing it to Clarke and grabbing an apple juice for herself. Clarke watched as she closed the fridge doors and then moved the stool over a bit so she could climb up and sit atop the counter. She patted the space next to her, and Clarke climbed up beside her.

"So where do you go to school, Clarke?" Lexa asked.

"TonDC elementary," she answered. "I'll be in kindergarten."

"Me too! We'll be in the same class!" Lexa exclaimed.

"Awesome." Clarke grinned.

"So are you part of the family that just moved in?" Lexa asked her.

"Yeah," Clarke responded.

"Was it hard? Moving?" Lexa inquired.

"Yes. I miss my old house and my best friend Wells," Clarke admitted.

"I've never really had a best friend," Lexa said.

"Really?" Clarke asked.

"Yeah. Anya, Lincoln, and I are really close. They're my best friends," Lexa explained, and Clarke assumed that Anya and Lincoln must be the brunette's siblings.

"Now, I can be your best friend, and you can be mine," Clarke declared.

"Okay!" Lexa agreed, "We'll be friends forever."

"Best friends forever," Clarke stated.

* * *

Abby Griffin collapsed onto the couch beside her husband Jake, finally having unpacked all of the boxes.

"I'm so glad that's over," Abby said, "That was a lot of work!"

"Clarke hasn't come back yet," Jake pointed out, "Maybe she's made some new friends."

"Clarke's not back?" Abby asked, suddenly worried.

She knew she'd told Clarke to go play outside for a while, so that she wouldn't be in the way while she and Jake unpacked, but she hadn't expected her to stay out long. She honestly hadn't even expected her to listen, since she had been so bummed out about moving away from Wells. Abby instantly jumped off the couch, ready to go outside and look for her daughter, when Jake grabbed her arm.

"I'm sure she's fine, Abby," he said. "She's probably just out playing with some of the kids on the block."

"No. She was really upset about moving away from Wells earlier. I doubt she's gotten over it that quickly," Abby argued.

"She's a kid," Jake said, "and it doesn't take long for kids as young as she is to get over things like this."

At that moment, the door opened, and Clarke walked in, looking tired but fine. Abby enveloped her in a hug, stroking her hair softly before pulling back and crouching at her level, looking into Clarke's blue eyes.

"Clarke, where have you been?" Abby asked.

"I was outside playing like you told me to," Clarke explained.

"All by yourself?" Abby questioned.

"With Lexa. She lives down the street, and she's gonna be in kindergarten, too!" Clarke said excitedly, before adding, "She's my new best friend."

"That's great, honey. Do you still want to talk to Wells?" Abby asked.

"No. I'm tired. I'll call him tomorrow," Clarke said, heading for the stairs.

Abby walked back over to the couch and sunk down on the beige cushions, pretending not to notice the smug look on her husband's face. Though she was glad Clarke made a new friend, she was a little taken aback by how the move didn't seem to be bothering Clarke anymore, when she had been dreading it for weeks.

"What did I tell you? She's over it already," Jake said, eyes twinkling.

Abby just laughed, nudging him in the side and shaking her head. So maybe he was right this time.

* * *

"Clarke!" The sound of Clarke's mother's voice rang down the hallway the next afternoon.

Clarke put down the Polly Pockets she was playing with and exited her room, running down the stairs to find her mother. Abby was standing at the door, and when Clarke looked past her, she saw Lexa standing outside. A smile instantly spread across Clarke's face at the sight of her new best friend, and she pushed past her mother to say hello to Lexa, who she immediately wrapped up in a hug. Lexa was taken aback at first, but then she quickly returned it. When Clarke pulled away, she turned back to her mother.

"Mom, this is Lexa," she said.

"So I heard. I'm assuming you want to go out and play, so go ahead. I'll call you when it's dinnertime," Abby said.

"Okay. Thank you," Clarke said.

Lexa grabbed her hand, pulling Clarke away from the door, and Clarke eagerly followed and walked out onto the street beside Lexa. She noticed that Lexa's siblings, Anya and Lincoln, were outside too, playing with the remote control cars that she and Lexa had played with yesterday.

"Anya and Lincoln are playing with the cars right now, so we'll have to find something else to do," Lexa informed her.

"That's fine, but why don't you have your own car?" Clarke asked.

"I could've gotten my own, but I wanted something else," Lexa explained, "something better."

"What?" Clarke asked.

"Come on. I'll show you," Lexa said, pulling Clarke towards the garage.

The garage was big enough for two cars, although it only contained one at the moment, and it was chock full of various other items: scooters, bikes, yard equipment, and even an old TV. Lexa led her to an item that was at the forefront of the clutter and easy for her to reach. It was a small motorcycle.

"You have a motorcycle?!" Clarke was in awe.

"Yep. Want to ride?" Lexa asked.

"That would be awesome! Can we ride together?" Clarke asked.

"Sure. I'll drive," Lexa agreed.

She grabbed her black leather motorcycle jacket off the shelf in front of her, putting it on before grabbing her black and red helmet as well. Realizing that there was only one, she handed it to Clarke.

"That's alright. You can have it," Clarke said.

"No. You wear it. This is your first time, and I don't want you to get hurt. Motorcycles can be dangerous," Lexa explained.

Clarke nodded and took the helmet, putting it on, as Lexa grabbed a pair of shades to wear.

"You look really cool. Like a real motorcycle rider," Clarke said.

"Thanks." Lexa beamed as she began to pull her motorcycle towards the street.

Once in the street, Lexa climbed on and gestured for Clarke to get on behind her. Clarke obliged, and Lexa grabbed Clarke's arms and wrapped them around her waist. Then, she stepped on the gas pedal, and they sped down the street. The pace wasn't too fast, but it felt really fast to Clarke, and she laughed as they rode, clutching tightly to Lexa in order to stay on. Lexa knew every street in the neighborhood, taking them all the way to where the development met the main road, and she was a great driver, slowing down a little to expertly complete the turn that would send them back the way they'd come. Clarke was having so much fun, and by the time they got back to their street, the blonde was ready to try for herself.

"Can I drive now?" Clarke asked once they stopped.

"Sure," Lexa said, climbing off so that Clarke could scoot up to the front.

Lexa climbed on the back and wrapped her arms around Clarke's waist before giving her the thumbs up, signaling that she was ready to go. Clarke had never ridden something that had a gas pedal before, so she did not know that it had alternating levels of speed. She pressed down on the pedal, shooting off down the street, but when they reached the turn, she didn't slow down, and she turned a bit too early, sending the motorcycle into someone's front yard. It immediately fell sideways, sending her and Lexa toppling to the grass.

"Are you alright?" Lexa asked, sitting up.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Good thing I was wearing my helmet, right?" Clarke said, and Lexa nodded.

"Next time, don't press the pedal so hard, so you can get used to driving before you go really fast," Lexa instructed.

"Okay," Clarke said.

They climbed back onto the motorcycle, and this time, Clarke didn't press on the gas so hard. She went slowly, so she could make the turns correctly, following Lexa's instructions on how to navigate through the neighborhood. Clarke found it really fun getting to drive, even if it was a bit scary, and she sped up a little as she felt herself getting more and more at ease. That was, until she reached the part where the neighborhood met the road.

"I can't do this," Clarke said, starting to panic as she watched the cars race by on the road in front of her.

"Yes, you can," Lexa assured her.

"No, I really can't, Lexa." Clarke's voice wobbled with fear.

"Don't worry. Just ease up on the pedal a bit. I got this," Lexa said, bringing her hands up to rest over Clarke's and moving the handlebars to complete a perfect turn before letting her hands drop back to Clarke's waist.

"Thank you, Lexa," Clarke sighed in relief.

"No problem," Lexa said.

Clarke took off down the street again, having no more problems as she guided them back to the front of Lexa's house, where they finally decided to get off the motorcycle. The sun was beginning to set, sending streaks of orange across the darkening sky. Clarke helped Lexa take the motorcycle back to the garage and then took off her helmet. She watched as Lexa put the helmet, along with her jacket and sunglasses, back up onto the shelf above the motorcycle.

"Well, I should probably get back home. My mom will want me in for dinner soon," Clarke said.

"Okay. I'll walk you to your house," Lexa said.

They set off towards Clarke's house, but as they were passing the place where Anya and Lincoln were still playing with their cars, Anya called out, "So, Lex, who is this chick who already got to ride on your motorcycle?"

"This is Clarke. She just moved in down the street, and she's my new best friend," Lexa introduced as Clarke waved at them.

"So, Clarke, how'd you get a ride? Most of the time Lexa won't even let us ride with her. She loves that motorcycle," Anya said, she and Lincoln walking over.

"She just offered, and I said yes. It was so much fun!" Clarke's eyes glowed with excitement.

"Looks like we're being replaced, An. Lexa found someone she likes more than us," Lincoln said.

"That's not true. I still love you guys," Lexa said, and Anya turned to Clarke.

"Well, if you already got a ride on Lexa's beloved motorcycle, you must be pretty cool. I'm Anya, and this is Lincoln," Anya introduced herself and her brother.

"Nice to meet you," Clarke said politely.

"Clarke! It's time for dinner!" Abby called from the door of Clarke's house.

"That's my mom," Clarke said, "I've got to go."

"That's okay, but you should come back tomorrow. Maybe we can all play something together," Anya suggested.

"I would like that," Clarke said.

"Clarke! Now!" Abby called again.

Clarke's eyes widened a little, and she quickly hugged Lexa goodbye and took off running toward her house, not wanting to get in trouble. She smiled as she ran though, knowing that she had just made two new friends.


	2. Chapter 2

Weeks had passed, and Clarke had just finished her lunch with the Woods family. She was now sitting on the couch between Lexa and Anya, sipping from her juice box as they all watched SpongeBob. SpongeBob was Clarke's favorite show, and she was glad to find that it was a favorite of the Woods children too. Her eyes never left the screen as SpongeBob, Patrick, and Mr. Krabs searched for The Flying Dutchman's treasure, laughing along with the others when Patrick thought west was weest. After the episode was over, Anya turned to them all in excitement, and Clarke knew she had some kind of idea.

"We should go outside into the woods and see if we can find The Flying Dutchman's treasure," Anya said.

"The treasure wouldn't be in the woods. It's not even real, An," Lincoln pointed out.

"But there could be some treasure in the woods. Come on, Linc, it'll be fun," Anya argued.

"Yeah, come on, Lincoln. We should look for treasure," Lexa agreed.

"But how will we even know where to look?" Clarke asked.

"We'll make our own map and see what we find," Anya said.

Anya moved over to the table, grabbing a sheet of paper and some pens. Clarke and Lexa followed eagerly, and Lincoln moved to join them, admitting that it did sound fun and picking up a pen. Anya drew the first line straight into the woods, writing the number 17 next to it.

"What's the number for?" Lexa asked.

"That's how many steps we go in that direction," Anya explained.

"Okay. My turn," Lincoln said, drawing his line.

When it was Clarke's turn, she drew a curving line to the right and wrote the number 26 next to it. They kept on drawing so they each had two more turns before marking an X at the end of their trail, and then they moved out to the woods. Clarke glanced around at the green forest in front of her. Birds were chirping enthusiastically as if aware of her excitement. Clarke and the others began to follow their trail, counting their steps out loud. All was going well, apart from the occasional scratch from stray branches, until they reached a river that was too wide to jump across.

"What do we do now?" Clarke asked.

"There's a vine over there," Lincoln pointed out, "We can swing across."

He grabbed the vine and swung across the river, landing easily on the other side before tossing the vine back to Anya. Once Anya was across, she threw the vine back, and Clarke caught it in her hands.

"Clarke, I don't think I can do this," Lexa spoke up beside her.

"Of course you can, Lexie. You ride your motorcycle all the time. This will be easy compared to that," Clarke reasoned.

"Can I go first?" Lexa still didn't look entirely sure.

"Of course." Clarke handed her the vine.

Clarke squeezed Lexa's hand once in reassurance, and the brunette nodded, steeling herself before swinging out across the river. Clarke cheered as Lexa landed safely on the other side, and she caught the vine as it was tossed back to her. The blonde swung out over the shimmering water, wind whipping through her hair as she sailed through the air. She landed on the ground with a thud.

"That was fun!" Clarke exclaimed.

"Right?" Anya agreed.

"Let's keep moving. We're almost there," Lincoln said.

Soon, they came across the spot they had marked with an X, and they immediately began digging, searching in vain for a treasure they only half knew would not be there. They dug down about a foot before finally accepting that nothing was there.

"There's no treasure," Lexa spoke aloud.

"I guess we made the map wrong," Anya said.

"It was still fun though," Lincoln insisted.

"So much fun," Clarke agreed, smiling.

Clarke's smile faded as she realized that they were covered in dirt. It was all over their hands and clothes, and it was even covering their faces. Clarke looked over her dirty clothes, knowing her mom was probably not going to be happy with her when she saw her. Apparently, the others came to the same conclusion, because Lincoln spoke Clarke's worries aloud.

"Mom's gonna be so mad when she sees us," Lincoln said.

"Nah. It's just a little dirt. It's nothing a good bath won't fix," Anya countered.

Clarke admired Anya's optimism – she was seemingly fearless of punishment. Clarke would be lying if she said she wasn't a little afraid of what would happen when she got home. After resting for a few minutes, the four of them decided to go back the way they had come, wanting to be home before dark. When they reached the river again, Lexa was the last to cross, and she let go of the vine a little too early, splashing into the river below. It was shallow enough that she could stand, but Anya was by her side in an instant, pulling her out of the water.

"Now, Mom's gonna be mad," Anya admitted. "You okay, Lexie Loo?"

"I'm fine, An," Lexa said.

They set off again towards the house, and Clarke noticed Lexa shivering beside her in the cool evening air. Clarke immediately moved to wrap an arm around her, pulling Lexa into herself to share her body heat.

"Thanks, Clarkey," Lexa whispered against her.

When they got inside, Mrs. Woods was sitting in the brown leather chair watching television. Her eyes wandered over to the kids as they came through the sliding glass door, and she gasped, instantly jumping to her feet.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Lexa fell in the river in the woods," Anya told her.

"Why were you even out in the forest in the first place? You shouldn't have been playing out there, and you definitely should not have been swinging across a river! That's incredibly dangerous," Mrs. Woods shouted. "You were out there with your baby sister and her friend. Lincoln and Anya, you two should know better! Any of you could've gotten hurt! Are you alright, Clarke?"

"Yes, ma'am," Clarke answered.

"Come on, Alexandria. Let's get you into a warm bath," Mrs. Woods said, ushering Lexa upstairs to the bathroom.

"Well, now that we have a little time before we'll be forced to take baths, do you need to go home, Clarke, or do you want to go jump on the trampoline with us?" Anya asked.

"Trampoline!" Clarke shouted.

"I was hoping you'd say that."

Clarke followed Anya and Lincoln outside to the big, blue-rimmed trampoline. Once on the trampoline, Lincoln extended his hand back down to help Clarke up, and she took it, climbing up beside him. Then, she, Anya, and Lincoln began to bounce up and down, jumping as high as they could and laughing. In the time that she had been hanging out with Lexa, Clarke had become incredibly close with Lincoln and Anya as well, and she was glad to have these three new people in her life. Suddenly, Anya did a flip. As soon as she passed him, Lincoln flipped in the opposite direction before she had even hit the trampoline, so that they crossed each other's paths.

"That was so cool!" Clarke said.

"Can you flip, Clarke?" Lincoln asked.

"Sure can," Clarke responded, doing a neat flip to demonstrate.

"Then, you can do it with us," Lincoln said.

He positioned Clarke so that the three of them were standing in triangle formation.

"Okay, now as soon as Anya passes you, you flip," Lincoln instructed.

Clarke nodded, showing that she understood. Lincoln then flipped, immediately followed by Anya, and once Anya was safely past, Clarke flipped too. Once Clarke hit the trampoline, she squealed in delight.

"Pretty fun, huh?" Anya asked, and Clarke nodded.

They all got up and began to bounce again, but less enthusiastically so they could talk.

"So, school's starting up in a couple weeks. Are you ready to start at TonDC?" Anya asked.

"Yeah. I'm pretty excited. I really love school," Clarke said.

"Just wait till you get to the second grade," Anya muttered. "According to Lincoln here, all you do is learn how to write in cursive."

"That's not all you do," Lincoln explained, "it's just the worst part."

"I just like it when we get to color," Clarke said, "I like to draw. It's my favorite thing."

"Oh, so you want to be an artist?" Lincoln asked.

"Yeah!"

"That's pretty cool. I wish I could draw," Anya said.

At that moment, Lexa and her mother emerged from the house, Lexa all nice and clean.

"Bath time!" Mrs. Woods said to Anya and Lincoln.

"Well, we've got to go take baths," Anya said, rolling her eyes, as they all climbed off the trampoline. "See you later, Clarke."

"I should probably get going, too," Clarke said as Anya and Lincoln disappeared inside with their mom.

She moved to hug Lexa goodbye, but Lexa pulled away. Clarke looked at her in confusion.

"You are all dirty, and I have just gotten clean," Lexa explained.

"Oh, yeah. I should probably go take a bath, huh?"

"Yeah." Lexa giggled.

"Okay, well, I'll see you tomorrow," Clarke said.

"Bye," the brunette returned.

* * *

When Clarke got home, Abby was not amused.

"Clarke, you're all dirty. What were you doing?" Abby asked.

"Me and Lexa and Lincoln and Anya went for a treasure hunt in the woods," Clarke explained.

"A treasure hunt?" Abby asked.

"We were looking for The Flying Dutchman's treasure," Clarke told Abby, and Abby smiled, recognizing the reference to that particular episode of SpongeBob.

"Did you find it?" Abby asked.

"No," Clarke said, "but it was still really fun."

"I'm sure it was, sweetheart," Abby said warmly. "Now, let's go get you a bath."

"Okay." Clarke followed Abby to the bathroom. After watching Mrs. Woods blow up on Lincoln and Anya, Clarke was just glad that her mother was not mad at her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have a few more scenes written of Clarke and Lexa as kids, and I was wondering if you'd like me to post them chronologically or if you'd rather me put them in as flashbacks during later chapters. I'm kind of leaning towards having a few flashbacks as of now, but I'd love to hear what you guys think! If you guys want flashbacks, then the next chapter will be where Lexa moves away. If not, there will be a few more fluffy chapters before then. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most people wanted me to have a few flashbacks in the story, and so this is the chapter where Lexa's family moves away. The next chapter will jump to the start of college. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the last chapter, and I hope you all enjoy this one!

Six Years Later

This was it. The day they'd all been dreading had finally arrived. Clarke and the Woods family silently ate breakfast in the kitchen, but Lexa didn't feel much like eating. She mainly just stared into her cereal bowl, moving the Cheerios around in the milk. They were leaving today, and they were going without Clarke. No matter how much she, Anya, and Lincoln had protested, her parents wouldn't budge. They didn't want to leave Clarke either, but her dad had gotten a great new job opportunity, and so they had to go. They had to go without Clarke. Lexa didn't know if she would ever be okay with that. How could they expect her to? She and Clarke did everything together. How could she even function on her own?

Right now, Lexa's parents were outside packing the moving trucks, and when they came inside, that would be it. They would have to go, and Lexa didn't even want to think about it. She looked around at the sullen looks on the faces of her siblings and Clarke. None of them were happy about this. When she met Clarke's miserable blue gaze, Lexa almost burst into tears. She averted her eyes, looking back down to her cereal. When the time came, Lexa watched numbly as her parents and siblings said goodbye to Clarke.

"Goodbye, little sis. We'll never forget you," Anya said, hugging Clarke.

"Yeah. You'll always be a Woods to us," Lincoln agreed, joining in.

Once they had moved away, and Clarke had said goodbye to Lexa's parents, she turned to Lexa, and the brunette found that she couldn't hold back her tears any longer. Clarke immediately moved to wrap Lexa up in her arms. It wasn't really hugging. It was more like clinging desperately to one another, wishing that they never had to let go. Lexa cried into Clarke's neck, and Clarke rubbed her back soothingly.

"I'll love you forever, Clarke. I will never, ever forget about you," Lexa sobbed.

"I love you, too, Lexie. You'll always be my sister, even if I never see you again," Clarke whispered.

"Lexa, time to go," Lexa heard her mother say softly.

Lexa reluctantly pulled away from Clarke and saw that the other girl was now crying too. She realized in that moment that while this might be hard on her, it was so much harder for Clarke. Clarke wasn't just losing one sibling. She was losing all three. Lexa moved her hands to wipe away Clarke's tears.

"It's okay, Clarke. You'll find new friends," Lexa reassured the blonde.

"How?" Clarke asked, her voice breaking.

"The same way you found me. By looking for them. It'll be okay, Clarke. I promise," Lexa told her.

Clarke just nodded.

"Goodbye, Clarke," Lexa said, swallowing the lump that was rising in her throat.

Clarke just shook her head, tears falling again. Lexa understood. Clarke didn't want to say goodbye. She didn't want to acknowledge that this was actually happening, but since it was, Lexa knew she could never leave without saying goodbye.

"Come on, Lexa," Anya said gently, resting a hand on her shoulder. Lexa nodded and trailed after her family, getting into the back seat of the car with her siblings.

"It'll be okay, Lexa," Anya insisted. "Just like you promised Clarke it would be."

Lexa simply nodded again, because that's all she could do. When the car began to move, Lexa and her siblings turned to wave to Clarke, who was watching them from the driveway. A few tears slipped from Lexa's eyes as she watched the distance growing between her and her best friend. She kept her puffy red eyes on Clarke's until the car turned a corner, and she could no longer see the blonde, and that's when she burst into tears.

* * *

The next week, Clarke returned to school, but it wasn't the same without Lexa. She didn't think it ever could be. Sure, she had a new classroom now, but still, everywhere she turned, she saw ghosts of Lexa, Anya, and Lincoln. Now that they were gone, who was left for Clarke to have fun with? Who would go on crazy adventures with her and dare her to do crazy things? This past week had been the hardest week she'd ever had. Without Lexa, there was no one to share her life with anymore. For the first time since before kindergarten, Clarke was all alone, and she was miserable. More than once, she had gotten excited about something, and she found herself running outside to tell Lexa, only to remember that she was gone. She had lately taken to sleeping with her parents because she couldn't bear to be in her bed alone. With Lexa gone, Clarke felt like a huge part of her had died, and she didn't know if she could ever get it back.

Now that she was starting school again, it was even worse. Who was she going to partner with on projects? Who was she going to sit with at lunch? Who was going to play with her at recess? She always did these things with Lexa, never needing anyone else. She and Lexa even did all of their homework together and studied together, so between the two of them, they were never lost. Who was going to make sure Clarke's grammar was correct now, and who was going to help Lexa with science? Who was going to help Clarke think up ridiculous songs to help them remember things for their history tests, a subject they both found boring? Clarke wished she could have moved as well, because everywhere she turned, she saw Lexa, and it was slowly killing her.

That first day at school, she wished she could just disappear. Everyone was going on like nothing had changed, but Clarke's entire world was falling apart. When she got to science class, of course they were doing a small introductory lab, and Clarke was not yet ready to have such a huge reminder of Lexa's absence. Normally, she would be excited, as she would pair up with Lexa, and they would have a blast completing the lab together. Instead, Clarke got to work with the new kid, who got a little overenthusiastic and almost blew up the lab, to Clarke's utter embarrassment.

When it was time for recess, Clarke was just about ready to fake illness and go home. The playground was the worst. Everyday, she used to come outside and swing with Lexa, or play basketball or four square or jump rope with Lexa. Sometimes on Fridays, the older kids would've come out to recess at the same time as Clarke and Lexa's class, so Anya and Lincoln would get to join them, but today the three of them were nowhere to be found, and they would never play together here with Clarke ever again. Clarke made her way to one of the picnic tables on the edge of the playground and sat down sullenly. She didn't want to play if she couldn't play with Lexa. Clarke was hoping to be left alone, but to her dismay, a brunette girl she didn't recognize made her way over to sit beside the blonde.

"Are you new here too?" she asked.

"No," Clarke answered.

"That's all I get? If you're not new here, why are you avoiding everyone? Why aren't you playing with your friends?" the brunette asked.

"I don't have any friends," Clarke said.

"What? Why not?" she asked.

"I don't wanna talk about it," Clarke grumbled.

"Okay. Well, my name is Octavia, and you can be my friend. My best friend Raven and I just moved to this school, so we don't know anyone, and we'd love to be friends with you," Octavia offered.

"Raven? The girl who I had as a partner in science lab this morning who almost blew up the entire building?" Clarke asked skeptically.

"That sounds like the one. She's a little crazy, but she's really nice. My brother goes here now too. He's two grades ahead of us, but I'm sure you'd like him," Octavia told her.

"You have a brother?" Clarke asked curiously. "Do you get along well?"

"Most of the time, yes. It's always great being the younger sibling, because it's like I can do no wrong. He gets in trouble for everything, even when it's my fault." Octavia chuckled.

"Right? I never got the blame. Anya and Lincoln got in trouble for everything we did wrong, and we always got away with it," Clarke said, life returning to her blue eyes for a moment.

"Anya and Lincoln? Are they your siblings?" Octavia asked.

"Anya, Lincoln, and Lexa," Clarke corrected, "and they were. Not anymore."

"What happened to them?" Octavia asked.

"They moved away. They weren't my real siblings. They were my neighbors, but I've known them since I was five, and we were all super close. It felt like they were my siblings," Clarke explained.

"I'm sorry. They sound really cool," Octavia said, trying to make Clarke feel better. Needless to say, it didn't work.

"They weren't just my siblings. They were my best friends. Lexa was my best friend. She was my age, and we did everything together, and I just don't know how to be without her," Clarke said, a tear slipping from her eye.

"You can start by making some new friends. It can't be good for you to be alone all the time," Octavia insisted. "I'd be happy to be your friend, and I'm sure Raven would too. Why don't you start by telling me your name?"

"Clarke," the blonde said.

"Well, Clarke, I can guarantee you that we will be best friends."

"We'll be friends," Clarke corrected, finally giving in to the bubbly brunette.

"That's what I said," Octavia said, and for the first time since Lexa left, Clarke smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

Clarke sighed as she opened another box, starting to unpack its contents. She, Octavia, and Raven were just moving into their dorm room today at Polis University. While they had been bouncing with excitement at first, all smiles and laughs, they were now dragging around with tiny scowls on their faces, clearly tired of unpacking.

"I can't wait till we're done with this," Raven groaned.

"Same," Clarke said, setting the microwave up on the counter.

"Will both of you stop whining and come over here and help me with the TV?" Octavia asked.

"Yeah, I got it," Raven replied.

Raven moved over to begin hooking up the TV while Octavia moved to start taking out her school books and piling them on her desk. Clarke began to do the same, pulling book after book from one of the boxes. Then, she pulled out her pink desk lamp and her New York snow globe and arranged them on top of her desk. Clarke looked into the bottom of the box and pulled out the last item. She almost hadn't brought it, but she couldn't bear to leave it behind. It was a picture of her and Lexa from their trip to Disney when they were seven years old. It was nighttime in the photo, and they were standing together, huge smiles adorning their faces, in front of Cinderella's castle, which was lit up pink behind them. Clarke smiled at the thought of that trip as she set the picture in the center of the desk, remembering it like it was yesterday.

"Earth to Clarke," Raven said, snapping Clarke out of her memories.

"What?" Clarke asked, turning around.

"I asked if you wanted to go out to the club tonight for one last night of fun before school starts tomorrow," Raven repeated.

"Yeah, sure. That sounds fun," Clarke agreed, but Raven could tell she was distracted.

"Is that her?" Raven asked, noticing the picture on Clarke's desk. "Is that Lexa?"

"Yes. It's the picture of us at Disney. I'm sure you've seen it in my room a thousand times."

"I have. I just never commented on it because I didn't want to upset you. You were really sad after she left, and I didn't want to bring her up," Raven justified.

"Thank you. I just don't really like to talk about her. She's still really special to me, even though I haven't seen her in seven years. I almost left this at home, but I just couldn't do it. Those years I spent with her were the best years of my life," Clarke explained sadly.

"I understand. You guys were close. I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost Bellamy," Octavia said.

"I still really miss her," Clarke admitted.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought her up," Raven mumbled.

"No, it's okay. Can we please just talk about something else though?" Clarke asked. "Like the club? Will Bellamy be joining us?"

"Of course. Bell wouldn't miss out on a chance to have fun," Octavia said, before adding, "you should invite Finn as well."

"I will. I'm sure he'd love to come."

"Awesome," Raven said, "Then let's finish unpacking so we can go."

Her two roommates elicited a groan at the thought of everything they still had to unpack. Clarke moved to grab her bedding from another one of the boxes that were scattered all over the floor of the dorm room. She claimed the bed on the left side of the room, since Octavia and Raven had already decided they wanted the bunk bed. As she began to arrange her sleeping area, she found that she couldn't wait to be in the refreshing atmosphere of the club.

* * *

Later that night, Clarke was sitting in a booth with her friends and Finn, her boyfriend of two years. As Octavia and Raven talked about how they were dreading going to school tomorrow, Clarke relaxed into Finn, and he put his arm around her. While his hand ran soothingly up and down her arm, she zoned out of the conversation a bit. As crazy as it sounded, Clarke was actually looking forward to starting school this term, and she felt like she was a kid again, excited to go to school rather than dreading it like she had come to as a teenager. She didn't know why, but she had a good feeling about this year.

"What are you thinking about?" Finn asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"How I think I'm going to enjoy school this year. I'm actually looking forward to it," Clarke said.

"Nerd," Finn teased.

"You're looking forward to school?" Raven asked from across the table. "Why?"

"A little bit. I mean, college will be a completely new experience, and I think I'm ready for it."

"You won't be saying that when you have a bunch of tests and projects to do," Raven insisted.

"No, I probably won't," Clarke agreed.

"Plus, we'll have to get up so early," Octavia complained. "That's the worst part about school. We should be allowed to sleep in."

"Not all of us are taking eight o'clock classes, O," Clarke pointed out.

"Why am I taking eight o'clock classes?" Octavia groaned.

"I warned you not to," Bellamy said.

"I just wanted to get my classes done early, so I could have the rest of the day to myself," Octavia huffed.

"The rest of the day to do homework, you mean," Bellamy said.

"Don't worry, O. I have a night class, and that's probably just as bad," Clarke said.

"My schedule is perfect," Raven bragged. "I don't have a class earlier than ten, and my classes don't run later than five."

"Yeah, but you have Friday classes," Octavia pointed out.

Everyone shuddered at the thought of Friday classes, and Raven glared at them all.

"That's the only way they would fit into my schedule," Raven tried to defend herself.

"Sucks for you," Octavia said, before effectively changing the topic as she said, "That's enough sitting around. Let's dance."

Octavia led the way to the dance floor, and the other four were quick to follow. Clarke smiled as she danced with her friends to the fast beat of the song that was pouring out of the loudspeakers, glad to finally be at the club after a long day of moving in and unpacking. Raven grabbed her hand and twirled her over to Finn, who was dancing beside her. She laughed when she noticed him doing his usual crazy dance moves.

"You always dance like such a weirdo," Clarke laughed.

"Yeah, but you love it," Finn said.

"It is cute," Clarke admitted.

Finn pulled Clarke in for a kiss, keeping it chaste since they were in public. Once they pulled apart, the melody of a slow song started to play, and Clarke smiled as she took Finn's extended hand, and he pulled her into him. Her body melded perfectly against his as they swayed to the music. Clarke was so happy to have Finn in her life. She had a good two years with him in high school, and she knew that people often grew apart, but right now, she couldn't picture her life without Finn in it.

"I love you," he said, clearly having similar thoughts.

"Love you too," Clarke replied. "I feel like this year is going to be a good year."

"I hope it will be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked the new chapter! Sorry it's a little short, but I promise the next one will be longer. Next chapter will be Clarke and Lexa's reunion, so stay tuned. Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think of the finale? I loved the Clexa scenes, but I miss Lexa already. :( Anyway, here's the chapter you've all been waiting for. The Clexa reunion! Enjoy!

"Still no sign of her?" Lexa asked.

"No," Lincoln replied.

Lexa had just moved in yesterday to her brother and sister's apartment, so that she could begin attending Polis University with them. She couldn't believe she was back. It was weird being so close to where she used to live again, but not being with Clarke. However, the three siblings did not even know if Clarke was still in this area. When Lincoln had first moved back three years ago, he had driven to Clarke's house to surprise her only to find an old woman at the door, claiming that she had been living in the house for a year.

"Who's to say she even lives here anymore?" Anya asked. "She moved out of her house four years ago. She could be anywhere by now."

"I know." Lexa sighed. "I just wish things could've been easy, and she would've just answered the door for Lincoln when he went to visit her. Then, she could've been back in our lives a long time ago."

"I get it, Lexa. We all wish she was back in our lives, but sometimes, things just aren't meant to be," Anya said sadly. "Stop worrying about her though. Right now, you need to focus on school. Isn't your first class in an hour?"

"Yeah. I guess I should get ready," Lexa agreed halfheartedly.

"Well, we're heading out to our classes now. See you later?"

"Of course," Lexa answered.

She watched as they walked out the door, and then she sighed again, grabbing her books to put into her bag. She still had some time to kill, but she figured she might as well get there early in case she had trouble finding the classroom. She slung her red backpack over her shoulder and walked out into the sunlight.

* * *

_Thirteen Years Ago_

_It was the night of Lexa's first sleepover with Clarke, and she had never been so excited in her life. They played at Clarke's house all day, and Lexa especially loved Clarke's sponge paints, something she did not have. They had just gotten ready for bed and were now lying side by side under the covers in Clarke's pink princess canopy bed._

_"We need a bedtime story," Lexa declared._

_"Sure. Do you want me to get my mom to read one?" Clarke asked._

_"No. Let's make it up ourselves. We can take turns telling it," Lexa suggested._

_"Okay. I'll start."_

_Clarke scrunched her face up, seemingly thinking very hard about where to begin. Then, she opened her eyes and exclaimed, "I've got it!"_

_"Once upon a time, there was a princess named Clarke," Clarke began. "She was the most beautiful princess in all the lands, and she was in love with a handsome prince named Zander who she wanted to marry someday. But one day, a very bad man came to try and marry the princess so that he could have her kingdom. She tried to get away, but he had a dragon."_

_"Then, Commander Lexa, the bravest warrior in all the lands, jumped out to defend the princess from the dragon," Lexa chimed in. "She hit the dragon with her sword as it tried to eat the princess. Then, she jumped on to the dragon's back and climbed up its neck. It tried to shake her off, but she held on tight, hoping the princess would run while she fought it."_

_"But Clarke didn't run," Clarke continued, "because she would never leave her best friend Commander Lexa to fight the dragon by herself. The dragon threw the commander off of it, and Clarke ran over to her. Since Lexa was hurt from the fall, Clarke grabbed her other sword and stabbed the dragon in the eye with it, and it backed away."_

_"Lexa finally got back up, and got on the dragon's back, and told Clarke to follow her," Lexa said, her eyes slightly widened. "They looked for a weak spot on the dragon, knowing that was the only way to kill it. While they crawled around its back, the dragon tried to eat them or breathe fire at them, but they were too quick. But one time, Clarke was not quick enough, and the dragon tried to bite her…but she moved just in time, so that it only hit her side, knocking her off its back."_

_"This was good though because when Clarke landed, she looked up and saw it right above her! The weak spot! She quickly hit it with her sword, instantly killing the dragon. Yay! They won! Lexa went over to Clarke, but before she could reach her, the bad man grabbed Princess Clarke and began to carry her away," Clarke added._

_"But Commander Lexa was way faster than him, and when he got to the door, she was already there. She raised her sword at him, telling him to drop the princess or she would cut off his head. He knew there was nothing else to do but leave without Clarke, so he set her down and left the castle. Then, Lexa pulled Clarke into her arms for a hug because they had actually won this time, and they celebrated their victory!" Lexa said._

_"And then Clarke got married to the beautiful Prince Zander, and Princess Clarke and her best friend Commander Lexa lived happily ever after," Clarke finished._

_"That was great! Sometimes I do this with my brother and sister, but ours was the best story ever!" Lexa exclaimed._

_"That was really fun. I've never done that before," Clarke admitted shyly._

_"We should do it every time we have sleepovers," Lexa suggested._

_"Yes," Clarke agreed, "and that will be many, many times."_

_"A million trillion times," Lexa clarified._

_"Good," Clarke closed her eyes, tired from the excitement of having Lexa over._

_"Good night, Princess," Lexa whispered._

_"Night, Commander," Clarke returned, smiling._

_Clarke leaned over to turn the bedside lamp off, and Lexa snuggled into her pillow. She knew Clarke had a hard time moving at first, but she was really glad that the blonde had become her new neighbor at the start of the summer. She had become as close to Clarke in the past two months as she was to Anya and Lincoln. She and Clarke just clicked, getting along better than Lexa had with anyone. She knew that her siblings really loved Clarke as well, and Lexa couldn't help but feel that Clarke fit right in with her family, almost as if she were a Woods herself._

* * *

After her classes for the day were over, Lexa decided to stop at her school's little coffee shop and grab a coffee before heading back to her apartment. As she walked to the door, she could smell the enticing aroma of the coffee, and she started walking a bit faster. However, all thoughts of coffee left her brain when a blond girl exited the coffee shop, turning without looking where she was going, and smacked right into Lexa.

"I'm sorry," the girl stuttered as Lexa asked, simultaneously, "Are you okay?"

She never received an answer, though, because when the other girl's eyes locked onto hers, she was met by an ocean of blue. She gasped. She would recognize those eyes anywhere.

"Clarke?" she asked tentatively.

Lexa watched as the realization washed over the blonde's expression as well, something like hope and maybe a bit of disbelief shining in her blue eyes.

"Lexa?" Clarke asked.

Before Lexa could even nod in confirmation, Clarke was flying into her arms. Lexa returned the hug, holding tightly to Clarke as if she was afraid the blonde would disappear if she were to let go. This entire moment seemed surreal. Yet here she was, standing on the cracked sidewalk outside the little coffee shop, clinging to a girl she thought she'd only see again inside her memories.

"I have to take you to see Anya and Lincoln," Lexa said as she pulled back, "they'll be thrilled."

"Anya and Lincoln?" Clarke echoed. "They're here?"

"Yep. Lincoln's been going here for three years, Anya for two. They wanted to move back home, and so did I, but even if I didn't, I still would've gone wherever they went. I've missed having them around the house," Lexa admitted.

"Do you guys live on campus?" Clarke asked.

"No. We have our own apartment. What about you?" Lexa asked.

"I live here with my friends Raven and Octavia. The room's a bit small for three people, but they're really cool, so I don't mind," Clarke explained.

"You should come back to the apartment now with me if you're free. Anya and Lincoln should be back by now, and I'm sure they'd love to see you," Lexa said.

"I don't have class again until later tonight, so yes I'm free, and I'd love to see them too," Clarke agreed, before adding sheepishly, "I don't have a car though, so is it cool if I ride with you?"

"Of course. You always used to."

Lexa noticed a look of confusion flash across Clarke's face as she followed the brunette to the parking lot. That is, until Lexa stopped in front of her motorcycle.

"You have a real motorcycle now? It's a nice upgrade from the one we used to ride," Clarke stated.

"I have to agree. I've had it for two years now, and I've never even considered getting a car," Lexa admitted.

"I don't think I'll be driving this one though," Clarke joked.

"That's okay. I'm perfectly happy to drive it myself. I'd like to keep my life, if you don't mind," Lexa teased.

"Me too." Clarke laughed.

Lexa handed her the helmet, and Clarke shook her head, much like she had the first time Lexa had done this so many years ago.

"Clarke, this is a lot more dangerous than the motorcycle we used to ride when we were kids. You could get seriously hurt if anything were to happen, and I would never forgive myself," Lexa insisted.

"Lexa," Clarke chided, "I'm not taking your helmet."

"It'll only be one time," Lexa promised. "I have a spare helmet back at my place that you can wear when I bring you back to school."

"Fine," Clarke relented, taking the helmet.

Lexa got on the motorcycle and started up the engine while Clarke put the helmet on. Now that the excitement and total shock of being reunited with her best friend was starting to wear off, Lexa couldn't help but notice how beautiful Clarke had become in their time apart. Lexa was jolted out of her thoughts when Clarke slid onto the bike behind her and wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist. Lexa felt the heat rise to her cheeks at the blonde's touch, and she was glad that Clarke was behind her and couldn't see her face. She mentally scolded herself. This was Clarke. Her best friend. _Her_ _sister_. She had never reacted this way before, and she was puzzled as to why Clarke was affecting her this way now. She couldn't deny though that something had changed in the way she felt about Clarke. She took a deep breath and tried to focus on something other than Clarke's hands on her stomach.

"Did you fall asleep?" Clarke prompted from behind.

Lexa startled a bit, realizing that she had just been sitting there, and she hoped it had not been for long.

"No. Sorry," Lexa apologized, "I'm just a bit overwhelmed. Having you back is a little surreal."

"I know what you mean. But we're finally back together after far too long, and I don't intend on leaving anytime soon."

"Nor do I," Lexa said.

She pulled her motorcycle out of the parking lot and sped out onto the street, heading in the direction of her apartment. As she drove, she breathed a sigh of relief and contentment because after seven years of missing her, Clarke was back in her life.

* * *

When Clarke and Lexa arrived at the apartment, Lexa unlocked the door and pushed it open to find Anya and Lincoln sitting on the couch in the living room, watching something on the television screen. They didn't even look away from it as Lexa walked in through the door, let alone notice that there was someone else with her.

"Hey, Lex. How were your classes?" Anya asked.

"Great. Look who I found at the coffee shop," Lexa said.

This caused Anya and Lincoln to finally turn away from the screen. After they got over their initial moment of shock, huge grins broke out on their faces at the sight of Clarke.

"Clarke!" Lincoln exclaimed, moving to hug her.

"It's great to see you," Anya said. "We didn't think you lived here anymore."

"Yeah. When I first moved back, I went to your house to see you, but you no longer lived there, and when we never saw you around, we just assumed you had left," Lincoln told her.

"I did move, but not far. I moved about a half hour away from here, so I could be closer to Arkadia High," Clarke explained.

"You went to Arkadia? I would've thought you'd go to Riverside. It's closer," Anya said, puzzled.

"I would've, yes, but my friends lived closer to Arkadia, and that's where they all wanted to go, so my parents and I moved closer. I honestly didn't mind the move though. Our old street held too many memories," Clarke said.

"Well, it's great to see you again," Lincoln said, "We never stopped missing you."

"Some of us more than others," Anya added, with a pointed look at Lexa.

"She was _my_ best friend." Lexa flashed a glare at Anya.

"Whatever," Anya said, rolling her eyes. "So, Clarke, we were just about to order a pizza for a late lunch, early dinner kind of thing. Would you like to join us?"

"Sure. I just have to be back by six for class," Clarke said.

"That's fine." Lincoln smiled at her. "You still like cheese?"

"Of course."

* * *

Once the pizza had arrived, the four of them sat on the adjacent couches, Anya and Lincoln on one and Clarke and Lexa on the other. Lexa munched on her slice of pepperoni and sausage pizza while conversing with her siblings and Clarke.

"So, what are you going to school for, Clarke?" Anya asked.

"I want to be a doctor," Clarke informed her.

"No more artist?" Anya asked.

"Nope. I still love art, and I draw and paint on the side, but I've seen a lot more of what my mom does, and I'd really love to save lives someday like her," Clarke explained.

"Fair enough."

"What about you three? What are you going to school for?" Clarke asked.

Lincoln was the first to answer. "Physical therapy."

"Journalism," Lexa said.

"Criminal justice," Anya finished.

"Awesome. Lincoln, you and I will both be in the medical field," Clarke pointed out.

"Yep. So if you ever need help with biology," Lincoln said, grinning.

"I won't hesitate to ask," Clarke confirmed, smiling as well.

Everyone laughed at this statement before being enveloped by silence. It wasn't an awkward silence at all, however. It was the silence of people who were still completely comfortable around each other, even after seven years of being apart.

"I can't say how happy I am to be home. Being here, it almost feels like I'm five years old again," Lexa said.

"Except now we're not out playing in the dirt or going on wild adventures in our backyards," Anya pointed out.

"Remember the time we found that hornets' nest?" Lexa asked.

"You mean the time you and Clarke threw rocks at it, and we all got stung?" Lincoln reworded the question, narrowing his eyes.

"And Lincoln and I somehow got in trouble for it," Anya added. "How could we forget?"

"That would be the time," Lexa said. "That was hilarious."

"Ah, the perks of being the younger siblings," Clarke said brightly. "It wasn't so funny though when we were sore for the rest of that day and the next one."

"Remember that time you and Lexa were outside playing in the mud while Lincoln and I were studying for tests that we had the next day, and we somehow got in trouble for not watching you?" Anya asked.

"You shouldn't have let us go outside," Lexa insisted.

"I didn't know you were outside, and even if I did, how was I supposed to know you were going to have a mud war?" Anya asked.

"We were six," Lexa justified.

"We got away with everything," Clarke reminisced.

"It was almost like you purposely tried to get us in trouble," Anya grumbled.

Clarke smiled mischievously. "Maybe we did."

"You'll never know," Lexa said, and Anya groaned.

"You're right. It feels like we _are_ kids again," she muttered.

"The only thing that's missing is Clarke and Lexa sharing food," Lincoln said.

Lexa smiled and immediately held out her pizza slice to Clarke. Clarke laughed and took a bite, setting her pizza back on her plate and choosing to continue sharing Lexa's instead. Lincoln and Anya laughed and shook their heads. Some things never changed.

* * *

Later that night, Lexa stopped her motorcycle in front of the biology building. Clarke got off, and Lexa couldn't help but already miss the feeling of the blonde's arms around her waist. She tried to keep the disappointment out of her eyes as she took her helmet back from Clarke.

"Thanks for tonight, Lexa. It was nice catching up with you guys. I've missed you a lot."

"Don't worry," Lexa said, "we've all missed you too."

"We'll have to do this again sometime."

"Of course. You know you can come over anytime. All you have to do is ask."

"Well, I better get to class. I'll see you later, Commander."

Lexa almost gasped in surprise. She had not been called Commander in a very long time, and she was touched that Clarke had used the old nickname. She knew she could never forget the stories they used to tell each other all those years ago, and she was glad that Clarke still remembered as well.

"I'll see you soon, Princess," Lexa responded, and Clarke smiled.

As Lexa sped away from the building, Clarke waved to her, and the brunette did not hesitate to wave back. The simple gesture brought her back to a different time when she had waved goodbye to Clarke from the backseat of her parents' car, knowing full well that she may never see the blonde again. She was glad that this time would be much different.


	6. Chapter 6

When Clarke walked into her dorm room that night, Octavia and Raven were already there, conversing on the top of the bunk bed while music played on Octavia's black laptop. At the sound of the door closing behind Clarke, Raven turned her head to look at the blonde.

"Where were you all day, Clarke?" Raven asked.

"I had class," Clarke responded.

"We know that, but I didn't see you back here in between your classes. Don't tell me you were already at the library studying," Octavia said.

Clarke bit her lip, trying to decide whether or not to tell her friends about the day's events. However, the decision was made for her when Octavia caught onto her nervous tic and immediately knew that there was something she was not telling them.

"Clarke?" she prompted.

"Fine. I didn't come back because when I was leaving the coffee shop earlier today, I ran into Lexa. Literally," Clarke admitted, letting out a puff of air.

"No way," Raven said. "Lexa from the picture? She's back here?"

"Yes. I smacked right into her on my way out of the coffee shop. Luckily neither of us was holding coffee or that would have made for a very embarrassing situation," Clarke rambled, "but yes, she's back."

"Well, that's great," Octavia said, "Isn't it?"

"So great! At first, I didn't believe it was really her, but she's actually back. She has an apartment here and everything. Well, technically, it's her brother and sister's apartment, but she just moved in a few days ago to start school here. That's where I was today," Clarke explained, "At Lexa's apartment, catching up with her and her siblings. It was really nice to see them all again. I still can't believe it on some level. I seriously thought I never would."

"We're not getting replaced, are we?" Raven teased.

"Of course not," Clarke said. "It's just great to have them back. They're like my family."

"So when do we get to meet this Lexa?" Octavia asked.

"Soon. Just not yet. I want some time to get to know her again before I introduce her to my friends," Clarke explained.

"I feel like we're meeting your significant other again," Raven said.

"She's like my sister, Raven," Clarke said, "Besides, she's not exactly very outgoing. I don't want to overwhelm her right off the bat. You can meet her when she's ready."

"It's okay. We're really happy for you, Clarke. We know how much she means to you," Octavia said.

"Thanks," Clarke responded.

As she sank down into the chair at her desk, she pulled her biology book out of her backpack and flipped to the first chapter. "Now, if you could please turn the music down a bit. I really do need to get started on my reading."

Octavia and Raven rolled their eyes and shared a chuckle before Octavia shook her head and turned the music down. They were not at all surprised to find Clarke studying on the first day of school.

* * *

Clarke walked out of her English class and groaned. She was required to take the class for her general education, but she absolutely hated the subject. Plus, in the second week of classes, the workload had already become insane. The teacher must have thought the students had no other classes because Clarke had to read three hundred pages of Crime and Punishment in two days. She had a lot of other homework to start working on, and she didn't want to waste her time with this ridiculous English course that she would never use again in her life.

Since she had a break between classes, Clarke decided she would go somewhere quiet to read. She thought about going to the library, but it was such a beautiful day outside that she decided to sit out in an open grassy area in the center of the campus. Stretching out on her stomach in the grass, she opened the book to the first page. She relished the calming feeling of the sun on her face as she read, keeping her nice and warm and perfectly illuminating the pages of the book in front of her. She had gotten through sixty pages when she felt a shadow settle over her, blocking out the comforting sunlight. She turned her face up with an annoyed expression, ready to tell whoever it was that was bothering her to leave her alone, but the words died in her throat when her eyes met green.

"Lexa," Clarke greeted.

"Hey, Clarke. I just got out of class, and I saw you lying here," Lexa informed her.

"Yes. I have to read 300 pages of this book for Thursday's class, so I am trying to get as much as I can done now," Clarke explained.

"I was just heading back to the apartment," Lexa said. "You're welcome to come with me if you want to. It'll be nice and quiet. Anya and Lincoln have classes now, so it would just be us."

"That sounds nice. Thank you," Clarke found herself saying.

Earlier today, she had wanted to stay outside and enjoy the beauty of the weather, but now that Lexa was here, she changed her mind. Many beautiful days had come and gone in the time that Lexa was away, and she had enjoyed every one. She hadn't gotten to enjoy Lexa in a long time though, so she resolved to spend some time with her now.

"No problem," Lexa said, extending a hand to help Clarke up.

* * *

When they arrived at Lexa's apartment, Clarke grabbed her book before discarding her backpack by the door. After making her way over to the couch, she sunk into it, waiting for Lexa to grab whatever homework she was going to be working on and join her. When Lexa sat down beside Clarke, the blond girl sprawled out on the couch, lying her head comfortably in Lexa's lap to continue her reading. She was puzzled when Lexa tensed at her actions, and she wondered if she had crossed a line. They never used to have a problem with physical contact before. In fact, this was something that they had often done as kids. Clarke just wanted to pick up where they left off, but maybe Lexa didn't want that. Clarke realized they were older now, but that didn't mean they couldn't still be completely comfortable around one another, did it?

"Clarke," Lexa said.

"Hm?" Clarke asked.

"What are you doing?" Lexa asked.

"Reading," Clarke said calmly. "Loosen up, Lexa. It's not like we're strangers. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Sorry, I just—yeah, you're fine," Lexa said.

After this, Lexa seemed to relax, and Clarke let out a sigh of relief. After opening her book to the appropriate page, Lexa placed a piece of loose-leaf paper in it before lying the book on top of Clarke's stomach and beginning to work on her homework. Now that Lexa had gotten over her strange moment of tension, the two girls seemed to be completely at ease. Clarke read, and Lexa worked on her homework, and for the first time in seven years, Clarke felt like she was really home again.

* * *

Clarke awoke to the sound of voices, and she groggily blinked her eyes open. Groaning, she tried to focus on the face that was floating above her.

"Lexa?" Clarke asked, disoriented.

"Looks like you fell asleep while studying, Munchkin," a voice said.

Clarke turned her head to see Anya on the couch adjacent to the one she was lying on. Lincoln was sitting beside her. At Anya's words, Clarke remembered that she had been reading Crime and Punishment and realized that she must have fallen asleep. She lifted her head from Lexa's lap, rubbing her eyes as she sat up, and looked down at the book that now resided in her lap, noticing that she was on page 210. She still had ninety pages left, but she closed the book, supposing she could finish those tomorrow.

"Sorry about that," Clarke said to Lexa. "How long have I been out?"

"About an hour. I didn't know whether I should wake you up or not, but you looked so peaceful, so I didn't," Lexa said.

"It's fine. I really should be going though. I still have some biology homework I need to finish up," Clarke said.

"Leaving so soon? Is it because you don't like us?" Lincoln teased.

"Of course not, Linc. This is Clarke. You remember how serious she was about school," Anya said. "Nice to see you haven't changed."

"Well, I do like to pass my classes," Clarke teased.

"Don't we all?" Anya said.

"You ready to go? I can take you back to school now," Lexa offered.

"That would be lovely," Clarke said.

She quickly said goodbye to Anya and Lincoln, apologizing for not staying longer, before grabbing her backpack and following Lexa out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a while since my last update! I had a project due last week, so I spent most of the week doing that. I promise the next update will come sooner! Enjoy!

Lexa felt the refreshing breeze against her cheeks as she jogged through the park. The trees were arched overhead, creating a nice cool shade for her to run under. It had been forever since she had been to this particular park, but it was still familiar to her. She, Clarke, and her siblings used to come and play here all the time, and Lexa had decided that it was the perfect place for a morning run. It was the color of the sky, though, that Lexa really loved. It was a deep blue overhead, but near the horizon, it was a pale, almost transparent blue, creating a silvery color as the sky tried to shed the last hour of the morning. As she ran, she noticed a flash of blond hair in her peripheral vision, and she whipped her head around to see Clarke sitting on one of the benches that looked out over the park. She was holding a sketchbook in one hand and a pencil in the other, scribbling intensely on the page, and Lexa wasn't so sure that her increased heart rate was solely due to running now. Clarke was so concentrated on her drawing that she didn't even notice as Lexa approached until the brunette was sitting down beside her.

"What are you drawing?" Lexa asked.

"Lexa. Wow, I didn't even see you coming," Clarke said, surprised. "I'm just working on a sketch of the park. I actually haven't drawn in a while. I've been more focused on painting, but I thought it'd be nice to get out for a bit and draw something that's right in front of me."

"May I see it?" Lexa asked.

"Maybe when I'm finished."

"I was just out for a run. I haven't been here in a long time, as you know, and I thought it'd be the perfect place," Lexa said.

"I was thinking the same thing," Clarke murmured distractedly.

"You haven't come here in a while? Why not? It's a very pretty—"

"Lexa, it's not that I don't want to talk to you, but can we please put this conversation on hold for a while until I finish this piece? I was kind of in the zone."

"Oh, of course. Sorry."

Clarke turned her full attention back to her drawing, and Lexa took the time to admire the blonde while she worked. Clarke's brow was furrowed, and the tip of her tongue peeked out from the corner of her mouth as she was lost in the art she was making. Her pencil glided across the page in front of her, creating something that Lexa could not see from the position she was sitting in. Her half of the bench was speckled with shade from the tips of the branches extending out high above her head, but Clarke was shrouded in sunlight. It glinted off Clarke's light hair, and Lexa thought it looked rather like the golden halo of an angel. As Clarke continued drawing, Lexa found herself staring at the blonde's soft pink lips and wondering what it would be like to kiss her. She mentally scolded herself. This was her best friend. Why was she suddenly feeling this way? But Clarke was beautiful. There was no denying it, and Lexa couldn't help but wonder if there was any minuscule chance that Clarke might be thinking about her the same way.

"Um, Lexa?" Clarke asked, pulling Lexa out of her daze. Clarke was looking at her with expectant blue eyes, and Lexa realized she must have said something.

"I'm sorry. What?" Lexa asked, trying not to blush at the fact that she had been caught staring.

"I said I'm finished, and I asked if you were ready to see the final product. Are you okay?" Clarke asked, a look of concern written on her face.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Let's see that drawing," Lexa said, eager to change the subject.

Clarke looked hesitant to move on from the matter, like she knew there was something Lexa wasn't telling her, but thankfully she let it go, flipping her sketchpad around to face the brunette. Lexa gasped in awe. It was a beautiful landscape of the park, with kids playing on the playground under the canopy of the trees, people walking on the sidewalks, and cars passing by on the street beyond. It was so lifelike that it looked like the people in front of Lexa had just walked out of the scene that Clarke had sketched.

"Wow, Clarke! That's amazing!" Lexa exclaimed. "You've come a long way from when we were kids, and you were great back then."

"Thanks," Clarke said, dipping her head shyly.

"I take it you don't show people your art often?" Lexa guessed.

"No. Just my parents, and I've only recently started showing Raven and Octavia," Clarke admitted.

"You really should let other people see it. You're a fantastic artist."

"Maybe," Clarke agreed, brushing the topic aside. "So what was life like in the time you were away? I feel like there are so many things we don't know about each other anymore."

Lexa paused to think for a moment. "Nothing's really changed. I mean, I still like motorcycles obviously. My favorite fruit is still grapes. My favorite subject is still literature. I'm still your best friend, Clarke."

"I've changed a bit. I mean, I want to be a doctor now instead of an artist."

"Why?"

"I wasn't feeling well one day at school, and my dad was out of town so my mom had to pick me up. She was busy, so I had to go back to the hospital with her. I watched her do a few surgeries, and there was one man who flat lined and stayed down for ten seconds, but my mom saved his life, Lexa. Something about that moment really inspired me. From then on, I knew that's what I wanted to do as well."

"That sounds incredible."

"It was. I wish you could've seen it." Clarke paused, and then continued, "But enough about me. What about you? How was high school? What made you want to be a journalist?"

"It was alright. I'm sure it would've been better if you'd been there," Lexa answered. "I stayed close to Anya and Lincoln, as always. I had a few friends, but I wasn't really close to them. Not like with you. And as for journalism, I've always loved to read and write. Are you really that surprised?"

"I guess not." Clarke chuckled.

"Tell me about Octavia and Raven," Lexa suggested.

"I'm pretty close with them," Clarke said. "It took some getting used to though. Raven's pretty crazy. She loves chemistry, but she always thinks that she knows a better way to do the experiment than what the instructor says. Surprisingly, her ideas work most of the time, but she does start the occasional fire. Octavia's less wild, but she's still quite outgoing. They can be insane at parties though. When they get completely wasted, there's no telling what they'll do."

"They sound fun," Lexa said.

"If by fun, you mean out of control," Clarke replied with a laugh.

Silence overcame them then as they sat on the bench. Lexa enjoyed the nice breeze that was currently hitting her face, but she couldn't say she particularly liked the silence. It felt awkward, because it gave her time to think, and the only thing she could think about was how much she wanted to scoot closer to the blonde next to her. She was hyperaware of the fact that the other girl was already quite close, but Lexa couldn't help that she wished that they were touching. She looked up at the leaves above her, hoping something would distract her, but they only served to mirror her emotions. They were shaped like the teardrops that were sure to be running down her face the longer that she sat so close to Clarke like this, but also not close enough. She hated this new development in her feelings, and she wished that she could simply snuff them out so that things between her and Clarke could just go back to normal.

"Remember when we used to come here all the time with Anya and Lincoln?" Clarke asked, breaking Lexa out of her thoughts and successfully chasing away the awkwardness as Lexa was drowned in the memory.

"Of course," Lexa said, before admitting, "I miss that."

"Remember when we got really into _Annie_ , and we used to sing all the _Annie_ songs while on the swings?" Clarke asked.

"How could I forget? Anya would join in sometimes, though she would never admit it now, but Lincoln would always beg us to stop." Lexa laughed at the memory. "And we never did."

"We were eight. We weren't gonna stop," Clarke justified. "Besides, he totally loved that movie."

"He did. Remember when we used to have contests to see who could jump the farthest off the swings?" Lexa reminisced.

"That's it. Come on," Clarke said, setting her sketchbook on the bench before standing up and pulling Lexa to her feet.

"Where are we going?" Lexa asked as she followed Clarke. She was painfully aware of the fact that Clarke was still holding her hand.

"To swing. For now, let's be kids again." A wide grin spread across Lexa's face.

Luckily, most of the swings were empty, so Clarke and Lexa chose two beside each other and pushed off the ground to start moving. They probably looked crazy, two college kids swinging on the swings in a park full of small children, but Lexa found that she didn't care. Just like that, Lexa felt like she was whisked back through time. She could easily believe she was small again, swinging through the air with the wind blowing back her brunette curls and Clarke by her side. This felt good. This felt right. This felt like home. Lexa hadn't felt like this in a long time. She was so free. She wanted to throw her head back and laugh, but before she could, Clarke spoke beside her.

"Hey, look. We're double dating."

"Double dating?" Lexa echoed, wondering if she'd heard correctly.

"Yes. Double dating. When our swings are in sync with each other. Remember?"

"Oh. Yeah."

Lexa felt the heat rise up to her cheeks. She was embarrassed that Clarke mentioning dating had gotten her so flustered. She knew one thing for certain though. She wanted to date Clarke. She looked over to her best friend and found the blonde smiling at her, so she gave a weak smile of her own. However, she didn't feel like smiling anymore. She wanted nothing more than to ask Clarke out, but she knew she couldn't. She didn't want to risk ruining their friendship. Clarke wanted to pick up right where they left off, but Lexa wasn't sure if she could. Every time Clarke would grab her hand or smile at her, Lexa wished it could be more than platonic. It made her want to scream. At that very moment, Clarke reached out to grab her hand between the swings, and Lexa knew she needed to go home. She didn't trust herself around Clarke any longer.

"This has been fun, Clarke, but I should probably be getting back to the apartment. Anya and Lincoln are probably wondering where I am," Lexa murmured.

Lexa instantly felt bad when a look of disappointment flashed across Clarke's face, but it was gone almost as soon as it appeared, replaced by a mischievous smirk.

"You can't leave before we have a jumping contest," Clarke insisted.

Lexa relented, smiling a little at the thought. "Fine."

"Get ready to get your ass kicked!"

Clarke counted to three, and they jumped. Lexa enjoyed the feeling of weightlessness as she seemed to hang in the air for a moment before landing gracefully on her feet. Clarke landed a few inches in front of her, but her landing was not so graceful. She toppled backwards and fell on her butt.

"It appears that I've won," Lexa said.

"No way. I jumped farther than you did," Clarke said, scrambling to her feet.

"It doesn't matter. You fell. Don't tell me you've forgotten the rules," Lexa teased.

"Fine. You win," Clarke grumbled.

Lexa laughed at the pout on Clarke's face, and she wanted nothing more than to kiss it away, but that reminded her of the reason she needed to leave in the first place.

"Well, now that I've had my victory, I should probably go," Lexa said, before turning to walk away.

"Lexa, wait!" Clarke called, and Lexa turned back.

"It's just that I realized I don't have your number. Best friends should have each other's numbers, don't you think? That way, we can get in touch whenever we want."

Lexa nodded her agreement and held out her hand for Clarke's phone. It wasn't as if texting or calling the blond girl could do her any harm. She quickly created a new contact for herself and entered her number before handing the phone back to its owner.

"Thanks," Clarke said. "I'll text you later."

Lexa just nodded again before turning to head back to her apartment, hoping the short run would clear her head.

* * *

The run did not clear her head. It only served to make things worse. Once she was alone with her thoughts, she could not get Clarke out of her head, and that was the one topic that she was hoping to avoid. When she got inside her apartment, she desperately wished for it to be empty, but, to her chagrin, Anya was sitting on the couch.

"Hey, Little Sis. What's up?" Anya asked.

"Nothing. Just got back from a run," Lexa said.

"That is not your I-just-got-back-from-a-run face. Something's bothering you," Anya noticed, "so spill."

Lexa sighed, wondering how it was that Anya always knew when something was wrong. She bit her lip, trying to decide whether or not to tell the truth. Knowing Anya would see right through her lies, she sank onto the couch in defeat. They sat in silence for a few moments, the only sound in the room coming from the ticking clock, until Lexa took a shaky breath and began to speak.

"I have a crush on Clarke," she blurted.

"Clarke, like... our Clarke?" Anya asked.

"Yes. Our Clarke. I think I might be in love with her," Lexa admitted.

"Wow. I've always had my suspicions. I mean, Lincoln and I used to joke about it when we were younger, but we never really thought it was true."

"You used to joke about me and Clarke?"

"Well, yeah, but it was just kid stuff," Anya said, rubbing the back of her neck. "So, you really love her?"

"I might," Lexa corrected quickly. "It's just... she's absolutely gorgeous, and she has a beautiful personality. I felt so lost all this time, and when I ran into her outside that coffee shop, it felt like a huge part of me had been found, a part I'm not even sure I realized was missing. It makes me wonder if maybe I've loved her all along."

"Maybe you have," Anya said softly. "The only person who can answer that question is you."

"But you said you had your suspicions," Lexa repeated. "Why?"

"Why did you get that necklace?" Anya asked, gesturing to the blue heart necklace that Lexa wore around her neck each day.

"Because I like it. Blue's my favorite color. Why?" Lexa asked, confused as to why Anya would change the subject when they were having such a serious conversation.

"Have you ever considered _why_ you like blue so much?" Anya asked.

"Where are you going with this?"

"Lex, the necklace is the same color as Clarke's eyes," Anya softly pointed out. "So maybe you have always loved her."

Realization washed over Lexa as she looked down at the necklace that was so familiar to her. Anya was right. It was the same color as the eyes she had seen in the park today, the eyes that belonged to a girl that she most definitely loved.

"What do I do?" Lexa asked.

"You tell her," Anya answered flatly.

"Tell her? I can't do that. I don't want to ruin what we have," Lexa protested.

"But don't you want to know if she feels the same way?"

"Yes. But what if she doesn't?"

"But what if she does?" Anya asked earnestly. "You'll never know unless you ask. You just need to be honest with her. You won't lose her. Clarke loves you. I know that much. Even if it's not in the way that you want her to."

"So when do I tell her?" Lexa asked after a beat of silence.

"I can't answer that for you, Lexie Loo. Whenever you feel the time is right."

"Thanks, Anya."

At that moment, Lexa's phone vibrated, indicating that she had a new text message. She saw that it was from an unknown number, but quickly realized that it was from Clarke. After entering the number into her phone, she read the message.

**Clarke:** _Hey, it's Clarke. So my friends really want to meet you, and they want to hang out tomorrow. You don't have to join if you don't want to, but if you do, let me know._

"That's her now," Lexa announced.

"What does she want?" Anya asked.

"She wants me to hang out with her and her friends tomorrow," Lexa said.

"Do it. Tell her they can hang out at our place if they want," Anya offered.

**Lexa:** _I'm in. Anya said you could hang out here if you want._

**Clarke:** _Cool. What time do you want us?_

**Lexa:** _Hm. How about 5?_

**Clarke:** _Sounds like a plan. See you tomorrow! :)_

"What'd she say?" Anya asked. "Is she coming?"

"She said it sounds like a plan."

"Awesome. And don't worry," Anya said, noticing the worried look on her sister's face. "Just be cool with her, and have fun. You don't have to tell her anything until you're ready."

Lexa let out a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding.

"You're right," Lexa agreed. "It'll be fun. Besides, I've kind of been looking forward to meeting Clarke's new friends."

"Now that's more like it," Anya said with a grin.

* * *

_Ten Years Earlier_

_The sun shone brightly overhead, not a cloud in the sky, on a warm summer's day. A symphony of birdsong came from the trees, and children's laughter could be heard from the park below. One would think it to be a peaceful scene, but it was hard for Lincoln to ignore the loud singing that was disturbing the serene atmosphere right now._

_"You're never fully dressed without a smile," Lexa, Clarke, and Anya sang as they swung on the swings._

_"Guys, please stop," Lincoln pleaded. "People are starting to look at us weird."_

_"Fine," Anya grumbled._

_Clarke and Lexa ignored him, continuing to sing even louder. "Who cares what they're wearing on Main Street or Saville Row?"_

_"It's what you wear from ear to ear," Clarke sang._

_Lexa took over from where she left off. "But not from head to toe tha—"_

_"That's enough, guys. Let's have a jumping contest," Lincoln suggested._

_"Yeah!" Clarke and Lexa cheered, finally stopping their obnoxious singing._

_"I'm gonna win," Anya declared._

_"No, I am!" Clarke argued._

_"In your dreams, Munchkin!"_

_"On three," Lincoln said. "One, two, three!"_

_Lincoln jumped from his swing, flying through the air before landing in a crouch, but remaining on his feet. He watched as Anya landed a few feet in front of him, but her momentum continued to carry her forward, and she sprawled out in the dirt. Lincoln smiled when he realized that Clarke and Lexa had landed behind him._

_"I won," he announced._

_"That's so unfair," Anya protested, "I would've had it if I didn't fall. I was farther than you."_

_"Better luck next time, An," Lincoln teased._

_"I want a rematch!" Clarke yelled._

_Lincoln knew that this was because she had landed the furthest back, and she hated to lose. The young blonde hadn't always been this competitive, and Lincoln had a sneaking suspicion that it had to do with hanging around Anya for so long. Lincoln nodded in answer to Clarke's rematch request, and the others agreed to jump again as well. Clarke and Lexa were already getting back on their swings, and Lincoln moved to join them._

_After several more contests, with each of them winning at least once, Lincoln was still the reigning champion, but he did not take time to gloat about it, the way he was sure Anya would have if she had won. Lexa lost, only winning one time, but she didn't seem to mind. Whereas Clarke seemed to take after Anya, Lexa was more calm and easygoing like Lincoln._

_"What should we do now?" Anya asked. "Are you guys ready to go home?"_

_"Yeah. Let's go watch_ Annie _," Lexa suggested, grinning._

_"Not again," Lincoln groaned, "we just watched it yesterday."_

_"But it's so good!" Clarke shouted, clearly agreeing with her best friend's suggestion. "And you love that movie."_

_"I do not like_ Annie _," Lincoln argued, but Clarke and Lexa were already out of earshot, running to where Lincoln's parents were waiting for them._

_"Whatever you say, Linc," Anya said, looking pointedly at him._

_Lincoln rolled his eyes as he and Anya followed the younger girls. Lincoln had to admit, though, that he really wouldn't mind watching the movie again, even though he'd seen it like a million times already. It made his sisters really happy, and okay, maybe he did like it a little._


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the longest one yet for this story, so I hope you enjoy it! Clarke's friends get to meet Lexa and her siblings in this one. Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think!

_Eleven Years Earlier_

_Clarke watched as the Dumbo elephants flew around in circles above her, excitement coursing through her veins at the prospect of getting onto the ride next. Lexa bounced beside her, clearly feeling her excitement as well. The Woods children were at Disney for the weekend, and they had brought Clarke along. Clarke's mother insisted that they didn't have to do that, but Mrs. Woods said it was fine, as Clarke was like an honorary member of the Woods clan by now anyway. Clarke couldn't help but agree. After two years of being best friends with Lexa, she felt as if Lexa, Anya, and Lincoln were her own siblings._

_"Which color should we get? Maybe purple?" Lexa wondered aloud._

_"Pink!" Clarke shouted._

_"Okay, pink," Lexa agreed easily._

_At that moment, the gate was lifted, and Clarke and Lexa ran to a pink Dumbo, climbing in and fastening their seat belts as Anya and Lincoln got into the gold Dumbo behind them. Clarke looked excitedly at Lexa as the ride began, and Lexa squealed. When they began to move, Clarke grabbed onto the control stick and gently guided it up and down. She giggled along with Lexa as they went around in circles. Clarke looked out over the crowd, and after spotting Lexa's parents, she raised her hand to wave to them. Mr. Woods waved back while Mrs. Woods snapped a picture of her and Lexa with her phone. When the ride was almost over, Lexa put her hand over Clarke's and guided them up as far as they could go, so they could end at the top. Suddenly, they lost their control over the ride as they were forced to go down. Once their elephant had come to a complete halt, Lexa grabbed Clarke's hand and pulled her out onto the ground._

_"Did you guys have fun?" Lincoln asked._

_Clarke nodded. "Yeah!"_

_The four children made their way over to the place where Mr. and Mrs. Woods were waiting for them._

_"How was it?" Mrs. Woods asked._

_"Great!" Anya said, and the others nodded in agreement._

_"What do you guys want to do next?" Mr. Woods asked._

_"Let's go on Thunder Mountain," Lincoln suggested._

_"Yes! That sounds fantastic!" Anya agreed._

_Clarke nodded her assent, and they began to make their way over to the ride. When they got there, they were about to walk under the entrance when Lexa pulled Clarke back._

_"I don't know about this one. I'm scared," Lexa whispered._

_"Oh come on, Lexie, it'll be so much fun. You can squeeze my hand the whole time," Clarke offered._

_Lexa still looked unsure, but she nodded and followed Clarke to where the rest of the family had stopped to wait for them._

_"Getting cold feet, Lexie Loo?" Anya asked._

_"No," Lexa mumbled unconvincingly._

_Lincoln gave her an encouraging smile and promised, "Don't worry, Lexa. It'll be fun."_

_After about a half hour of waiting in line, Clarke was finally sliding into a train car beside Lexa. She pulled down the lap bar, making sure it was secure, before grabbing Lexa's hand in her own and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Lexa gave her a weak smile. Clarke could tell that she was still afraid, but before she could say another word, the ride began to move. The train started to travel up the first hill, and Clarke felt Lexa's hand begin to shake in hers. Turning to the side, Clarke saw that Lexa was blinking tears out of her eyes._

_"Lexa, just relax," Clarke insisted. "It's not scary. I promise."_

_Lexa nodded and visibly relaxed, but she did not release her crushing grip on Clarke's hand. The ride slowed at the top of the hill for a moment, and then it rushed down. Clarke threw her free hand up in the air while Lexa closed her eyes and screamed at the top of her lungs, but Clarke was glad to see the fear leaving Lexa's eyes when she finally opened them again._

_"Are you okay, Lexie?" Clarke asked._

_"Fine. I thought this ride was going to be scarier than this."_

_"I told you," Clarke said, playfully nudging Lexa in the side, and Lexa just smiled._

_Once they were off the ride, Lincoln said with a grin, "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"_

_"No. It was fun," Lexa admitted._

_Clarke opened her mouth to say something, but Anya beat her to the punch. "Cotton candy!"_

_She was pointing to a cotton candy stand that was right near the exit. Anya began to beg her parents for some, and Clarke couldn't help but agree that she wanted some cotton candy too._

_"Okay. We'll go get cotton candy," Mr. Woods agreed, leading the way to the cotton candy stand._

_"What colors does everyone want?"_

_"Purple!" Anya shouted._

_"I'll have green," Lincoln added._

_"Clarke? Lexa?" Mrs. Woods prompted._

_"We'll have blue," Lexa answered for them, and Clarke nodded in approval, knowing that blue was the brunette's favorite color._

_Soon enough, they each had their sticks of cotton candy in hand. Clarke and Lexa only had one, which they held between them, as they ate off opposite sides. The rest of the family was completely unfazed by it, since the two young girls shared everything these days. Clarke grinned at the delicious sugary taste of the blue treat as they walked, heading back to the center of the park._

_"Where to next, Woods clan?" Mr. Woods asked, as they were finishing up their cotton candy._

_"Let's go on Snow White," Anya suggested._

_"Yeah!" Lexa cheered enthusiastically._

_Clarke shuddered just thinking about the ride. Last time she came to Disney with her parents, she went on Snow White and was terrified, so she shook her head._

_"I don't like Snow White. I'm afraid of the witch," Clarke admitted._

_"That's okay. We don't have to go," Anya said, though she sounded disappointed._

_"No. You guys can go," Lincoln said, before offering, "I'll stay off with Clarke. We can go on Peter Pan. How does that sound, Clarkey?"_

_"Great!" Clarke agreed._

_"That sounds good. Where should we meet up?" Mrs. Woods asked._

_"That depends. Where are we going after?" Anya asked._

_"Horsies!" Lexa yelled._

_"Yes, please," Clarke said._

_"Alright, we'll meet you guys at the merry-go-round," Mr. Woods said._

_Clarke and Lincoln headed off to Peter Pan while the rest of the family went to Snow White. In that moment, Clarke was so glad she had a brother like Lincoln._

* * *

_When it was finally their turn for the merry-go-round, Clarke climbed onto a red-saddled white horse, extending her hand down to Lexa. The brunette took it and climbed on behind her, wrapping her arms around Clarke's waist as the blonde grabbed onto the gold pole in front of her. Lincoln climbed onto the horse to their left, and Anya got on the one to their right._

_"I'm pretty sure you're only supposed to ride one person on each animal," Anya said, raising her eyebrows._

_"No way!" Clarke argued._

_"That's not fair," Lexa chimed in._

_"Just let them be, Anya. No one's coming over here to tell them that."_

_"Yeah, Anya," Lexa sassed._

_Anya just rolled her eyes. Clarke and Lexa squealed when the ride started, and they held on tight as it began to spin in circles. Clarke let out a laugh. She didn't think she'd ever had this much fun in her life._

* * *

_That night, Julie Woods sat in the passenger seat as her husband, Eric, drove them all back to the hotel. She'd had a good time today out with the kids, and she knew that they'd all had a blast. Now, they were all exhausted, and Julie enjoyed the peace and quiet that came from a car full of sleeping kids. Almost as soon as they buckled up, all four kids were sleeping soundly, and Julie knew it would probably be hard to wake them up after the day's events, especially Lexa._

_When they pulled into the parking lot, Eric went inside to get the keys to their hotel rooms while Julie opened the back doors of the car to get the kids out. When she opened the door, Anya was already blinking her eyes open, but the other three were out cold. Lincoln was slouched against the opposite door, and Lexa and Clarke were curled up together in the seat closest to Julie. She found it adorable the way they had their little arms wrapped around each other._

_"We're at the hotel, guys. Time to wake up," Julie coaxed them awake gently._

_"Already?" Lincoln asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes._

_Clarke opened her big blue eyes as well, but Lexa didn't budge._

_"Are we going up to our room now?" Clarke asked sleepily._

_"Yeah, Munchkin. Let's go," Anya said, hopping out of the car after Lincoln._

_"Lexie, time to wake up. We're at the hotel," Clarke said, gently shaking Lexa's shoulder._

_Lexa groaned and burrowed her way further into Clarke's chest, tightening her grip around the young blonde. Clarke huffed and rolled her eyes._

_"Lexaaa," Clarke said, shaking Lexa harder._

_"I'll get her," Julie said._

_Clarke pried Lexa's hands from around her waist, and Julie easily scooped her daughter up in her arms. Lexa immediately clung to her and buried her face in her mother's neck. Julie laughed at this behavior, knowing it was so very unique to Lexa in this family. Anya and Lincoln never had trouble waking up from naps, but when Lexa fell asleep, she was out for the night. At that moment, Eric made his way over to them, letting them know they were on the third floor before proceeding to grab the luggage out of the trunk. Anya, Lincoln, and Clarke stumbled tiredly up to the hotel room, Julie and Eric trailing behind. When they got to their rooms, one for she and her husband and the other for the kids, Julie followed the kids into their room to help them get settled, still carrying Lexa. She tried to set her daughter down, but Lexa wouldn't budge._

_"Lexa, come on, let's get ready for bed. Just put on your pajamas and brush your teeth, and then you can go to sleep," Julie said._

_Lexa reluctantly let go, and Julie opened the suitcase, handing the kids their pajamas and toothbrushes, so they could get ready for bed. Once they finished getting ready, Anya and Lincoln climbed into the bed closest to the door, and Lexa laid down in the other bed, extending her arms to Clarke. Clarke slipped right into the brunette's arms, curling up against her chest, and Julie smiled before moving to kiss everyone goodnight._

_"Your father and I will be right next door. If you need anything, just come wake us up," Julie told them. "Goodnight."_

_She was met with a chorus of "goodnight" murmurs. She smiled, turning out the lights before heading back to her room and closing the door._

* * *

"So, we're hanging out at Lexa's tonight. Do you want to come?" Clarke asked from where she was lying against Finn's chest.

Clarke had made sure to get all of her homework finished the previous day so that she could spend her Sunday with her favorite people in the world. Since she would be hanging out with Lexa later that day, she had made sure to head over to Finn's apartment to spend the afternoon with him. They had just been relaxing and watching TV when she realized she hadn't even thought to invite him to Lexa's as well. She felt him shift under her head, and she turned so she could look up at him.

"Lexa, as in the Lexa you used to be best friends with? The one you refer to as your sister?" Finn asked.

"Yes," Clarke responded.

"She's back?" he asked.

"Yeah. She goes to Polis too. Didn't I tell you?" Clarke asked.

"No. You never mentioned it. She must be pretty important if you won't even tell me much about her."

"I don't like to talk about her. I've told you that," Clarke reminded him.

"I know, and I understand, which is why I'd love to finally meet her, but I can't tonight. I have a computer science project due tomorrow, and I'm meeting with some of the guys from the class tonight to complete it," Finn explained.

Clarke's expression fell. She wished that Finn could just reschedule his meet-up with the guys tonight, but since the project was due tomorrow, she supposed there was no time he could really change it to. If only she had told him earlier about her plans to go see Lexa, he might have been able to get the project done and tag along. She was really bummed that he wouldn't get to meet Lexa, but more importantly, she was bummed that Lexa wouldn't get to meet him. He was really special to her, and she could not wait to introduce him to her best friend. She hoped Lexa would love him. She thought about asking Lexa if they could reschedule their get together, but she decided against it. She had missed Lexa for far too long, and she didn't want to waste a single second of the time she could be spending with her best friend now.

"I'm sorry, babe," Finn said, noticing her upset expression. "I promise I'll be there next time. Just let me know in advance, okay?"

"Of course. It's fine," Clarke insisted. "You have plenty of time to meet her. She's not going anywhere this time."

"That's great. So since she's back, does that mean you'll finally tell me about her?"

"Yes," Clarke decided. "What would you like to know?"

"Let's start with a basic one. How did you two meet?" he asked.

Clarke smiled as she launched into the story.

* * *

When Clarke and her friends arrived at the Woods' apartment that evening, the door swung open to reveal Lexa, and Clarke practically launched herself into the brunette's arms. Lexa tensed up in surprise, but she quickly relaxed and returned the gesture.

"Hello to you too, Clarke." Lexa smiled, ruffling the blonde's hair.

"Are you her? Lexa?" Raven asked as Clarke pulled away.

"Yes," Lexa confirmed, "that would be me."

"I thought I recognized you from the photos," Raven continued. "The unspoken of girl of Clarke's dreams."

Clarke noticed Lexa blush and figured Raven was making her uncomfortable. She'd told her friends that Lexa was a bit on the shy side, and she wished that Raven would not say stupid things like that in front of her.

"Raven, cut it out," Clarke scolded.

"Relax. I was only teasing," Raven said. "You know that."

"I do, but she doesn't," Clarke said, nodding her head in Lexa's direction. Lexa awkwardly cleared her throat.

"Well, why don't we go inside?" she suggested.

"Yeah! Let's get this party started!" Raven said, pushing past Lexa into the apartment. Clarke waited as Octavia and Bellamy made their way in next, hanging back to talk to Lexa.

"Don't worry about Raven. She's a little crazy, but she's super sweet. I'm sure you'll love her," Clarke said.

"Yeah," Lexa agreed, but she didn't look so sure.

Clarke reached down and squeezed Lexa's hand once in reassurance before making her way into the living room to join everyone else. She hoped that her friends would remain somewhat in line this evening.

"So, these are my friends, Bellamy, Octavia, and Raven," Clarke said, pointing to each one in turn. "Guys, these are Lexa's siblings, Anya and Lincoln."

At first, it was a little awkward because none of her friends knew what to do, but the silence was broken when Raven started talking to Anya, falling into an easy conversation with the older girl. Bellamy began to make small talk with Lincoln, and Clarke watched on as Lexa was dragged into the conversation by her brother. While the others were all distracted, Octavia stepped in closer to Clarke so she would not be overheard.

"Why didn't you tell me Lincoln was so hot?" Octavia whispered.

"Lincoln?" Clarke laughed. "He's like my brother. I never really looked at him like that."

At that moment, Bellamy pulled Octavia over to introduce her to Lincoln, and Octavia blushed a deep shade of red, to Clarke's amusement. Clarke laughed as she walked over to take a seat on the couch, where Raven and Anya were just sitting down.

"So please tell me you guys have alcohol," Raven said over the noise of everyone talking, successfully bringing everyone's attention to her.

"Lucky for you, Lincoln is 21 and can therefore get his hands on the stuff easily," Anya said.

"And now I'm letting my little sisters get drunk," Lincoln muttered.

Anya scoffed at him. "I'm not little. I'm only a year younger than you."

"Anyway," Lincoln said, "No one's driving if you drink. You guys can crash here if you want."

"That's fine. Let's drink," Raven said.

Lincoln excused himself to head into the kitchen and get drinks for everyone. Anya quickly ran in to help him, leaving the others with the instructions to decide on a drinking game to play.

"So what are we playing?" Octavia asked.

"Truth or dare?" Clarke suggested.

"No. We always play that," Raven whined.

"Fine. Then, what do you want to play?" Clarke asked.

"How about Never Have I Ever?" Raven asked.

"That's fine," Octavia said, and Bellamy nodded his consent.

"Lexa?" Clarke asked, turning to her best friend.

"Whatever you guys want is fine," Lexa insisted.

Clarke was not surprised by her best friend's reaction. The other girl never really seemed to care what they did, always more than happy to let Clarke or Anya decide for her. She reminded Clarke of Lincoln, because he was the same way. At that moment, Anya and Lincoln made their way back into the room carrying drinks on black cookie trays. They distributed red Solo cups to everyone before setting the trays on the coffee table.

"So what are we playing?" Anya asked, flopping back down on the couch.

"Raven wants to play Never Have I Ever," Clarke announced.

"Really? I love this girl," Anya said, grinning with excitement.

"Who wants to go first?" Lincoln asked.

"I will," Clarke said, "Never have I ever gotten in trouble with Mrs. W."

"Seriously, Clarke?" Lexa said, and Anya flipped her off as both girls, along with Lincoln, took sips of their drinks.

"My turn," Lexa announced. "Never have I ever been good at drawing."

Clarke glared at Lexa as she, Lincoln, and Raven took sips of their drinks.

"Never have I ever broken a bone," Anya said.

Lexa grumbled as she took a swig, and Clarke laughed. She clearly remembered the day she and the Woods children had been climbing one of the trees in the backyard, and Lexa had fallen out of it, breaking her wrist. Bellamy and Octavia had to drink with Lexa, and Clarke was not surprised to find the Blake siblings drinking for this one as well.

"Alright. You're up, O," Clarke said.

"Never have I ever almost blown up the science lab." Octavia looked pointedly at Raven, who immediately protested.

"That was one time!"

"That was like three times," Octavia corrected.

"It was not!"

"It was actually four, lab partner, but hey, who's counting?" Clarke chimed in.

Raven mumbled something under her breath and took a drink, causing Clarke and Octavia to laugh. However, Clarke knew she wouldn't be laughing anymore once Raven had a chance to get them back.

"Never have I ever made out with a guy." Bellamy grinned as all the girls drank. Except Lexa.

Clarke noticed that Lexa didn't drink for this one, and she wondered if Lexa had never had a boyfriend before. Octavia and Raven had dated many people throughout high school, and Clarke was sure she would have if she hadn't found Finn, so it was weird to think that Lexa might have gone that whole time without dating anyone. Clarke made a mental note to ask Lexa about it the next time they were alone. Turning her attention back to the game, Clarke found that it was Raven's turn, and she knew she or Octavia would be drinking this round. Or both.

"Never have I ever ridden a motorcycle," Raven said.

It was obviously a jab at Octavia as one of her high school boyfriends had owned a motorcycle, which she had ridden with him. However, what Raven didn't know was that Lexa also owned a motorcycle, which meant that Clarke and the Woods siblings had to drink for this one as well. Clarke was not surprised when Raven looked at them in shock, which was mainly directed at Clarke.

"Lexa has a motorcycle," Anya explained.

"And you've ridden this motorcycle, Clarke?" Raven asked with a teasing glint in her brown eyes.

"How do you think I got here before?" Clarke asked with a shrug.

She was glad when Lincoln spoke up next, effectively getting Clarke out of the spotlight. She didn't know why, but there was something about Raven's teasing that made her a bit uncomfortable.

"Never have I ever gotten a detention," Lincoln said.

"Fuck you, Lincoln." Anya glared at him as she drank.

Octavia also had to drink, because she had gotten a detention in high school for talking too much during class. The game progressed on for several more rounds, and by the time they had gotten bored of it, they were all feeling more than a little tipsy. Anya had ordered pizzas, and Clarke shook her head, not at all surprised. She remembered having pizza a lot when she would have dinner with the Woods family, because it was quick and easy, and it was Anya's favorite food. Not that Clarke minded. She had also taken quite a liking to pizza. When the pizza arrived, they all dived in hungrily, drinking water along with it to help prevent a hangover in the morning.

Once they finished eating, Raven suggested they watch a movie, and no one argued with her. Anya grabbed the TV remote off the coffee table, turning on the device before scrolling through the movies on the On Demand list. The group settled on _Pitch Perfect_ rather quickly. Well, more like Raven and Octavia started screaming when they saw it, and everyone else decided not to argue. Clarke really didn't mind the movie. The only person who seemed to be opposed was Bellamy, and that was only because he had seen it "more times than I've ever seen anything before in my life. God, Octavia, can we please watch something else?"

Everyone else wanted _Pitch Perfect_ though, so they turned it on and began to watch. Clarke could tell that Lexa was bored with the movie soon after it started, though, and Clarke wondered if maybe she had seen it a lot too. With the way Anya seemed almost as enthusiastic about it as Octavia, Clarke figured she was right. About a half hour into the movie, she felt Lexa lean against her, and when Clarke wrapped an arm around her best friend, Lexa clung tightly to her middle, burrowing her face in Clarke's chest. Within seconds, Lexa was fast asleep, and when Anya noticed, she laughed.

"Want me to get her off for you?" Anya asked.

Clarke shook her head. "I'm used to it."

* * *

Clarke blinked her eyes open when the lights flickered on overhead. She noticed the credits rolling on the screen in front of her, and she realized she must have dozed off. She tried to get up off the couch, but found she couldn't, as there was something, or rather some _one_ , weighing her down.

"Lexa, come on. It's time for bed," Clarke said, shaking the brunette.

Lexa just grumbled and clung harder to the neckline of Clarke's shirt. Clarke groaned in annoyance and started to shake the brunette harder as her friends laughed around her.

"She's seriously still like this?" Clarke asked.

"What? I thought you were used to it," Anya teased.

Clarke groaned and resorted to what she had started to do as a kid whenever she would get annoyed with Lexa doing exactly this. She grabbed a lock of brunette hair and tugged hard.

"Ow," Lexa grumbled, releasing Clarke and rubbing the back of her head. "You're still going to do that?"

"If you're still gonna fall asleep on me and refuse to release me, then yes," Clarke confirmed.

"I was tired," Lexa muttered, and Clarke could almost swear she saw Lexa's cheeks turn a faint shade of pink.

"Well, I'm tired too," Anya announced, drawing Clarke's attention away from Lexa. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you all in the morning."

Raven sprawled out on the couch, and Octavia and Bellamy were about to lay on the floor when Lincoln said, "You guys can have my bed if you want. I'll sleep out here."

"You don't have to do that for me," Octavia objected before quickly correcting herself, "err, for us."

Clarke tried not to smile as Octavia averted her eyes in embarrassment.

"No, seriously," Lincoln insisted, not letting on if he'd noticed her slip up. "It's all yours. Take it."

Clarke knew that he'd noticed though and was just trying to be nice. Lincoln was smart; he wouldn't have missed it. Clarke made a mental note to ask him what he thought about Octavia sometime when the brunette wasn't there.

"Let's go to bed," Lexa said tiredly, standing and dragging Clarke up with her.

"I can stay on the couch," Clarke offered, not wanting to intrude. She hadn't forgotten the way that Lexa had tensed up when Clarke laid down in her lap last week.

"Then, where's Lincoln going to sleep?" Lexa pointed out. "You'd make him sleep on the floor?"

"I guess you're right."

"It's not like we haven't shared a bed a thousand times before," Lexa murmured sleepily.

"Of course. Just maybe no bedtime stories tonight," Clarke said, and Lexa let out a laugh.

"No bedtime stories," she agreed.

Clarke followed Lexa into her bedroom, looking around at the small room that was lit only by the moonlight that was filtering in through the window. Lexa closed the blinds and flipped the light on, bathing the room in a soft yellow glow. Clarke smiled when she noticed the blue comforter on Lexa's bed, remembering that blue had always been the brunette's favorite color.

After getting ready for bed, Clarke came back into the room to find Lexa already lying under the covers. Clarke thought for a moment that Lexa was already fast asleep, but her eyes fluttered opened when she heard Clarke come in, and she hummed quietly, stretching her arms out to the blonde before closing her eyes again. Clarke shook her head, feeling like she was most definitely a kid again as she crawled into Lexa's arms and settled against her chest.

"And even though they spent many years apart, the brave Commander Lexa and the beautiful Princess Clarke found their way back to each other again," Lexa murmured.

"I thought we agreed no bedtime stories," Clarke teased, a huge grin on her face.

Lexa only smiled in response, and within seconds, she was asleep. Clarke threw her arm over Lexa's stomach to get more comfortable before she drifted off to sleep as well. She slept better that night than she had in a long time.


	9. Chapter 9

Clarke woke up to light filtering in through the cracks in the blinds. She groaned and burrowed into Finn's chest, not ready to get up and face the day yet. As she nuzzled in further, she felt her nose brush against the swell of a breast, and her eyes sprang open. She breathed out in relief when she recognized the body beneath her, and she remembered the events of the night before. It was Lexa. She tried to pull back from Lexa's hold, but found a hand come up and press her face back down.

"Lexa," Clarke groaned, "let go."

Lexa's voice was raspy from sleep. "But I'm so comfortable, and you're so warm."

Clarke pulled against Lexa's arm, but her best friend would not budge. "Come on, Lexie. We might as well get up. The others will probably be up soon anyway, and you know they won't let us sleep."

"You're probably right," Lexa relented, releasing her hold on Clarke.

Clarke sat up, surprised that she didn't have a hangover after last night. She was moving to grab some clothes to change into when she looked back at Lexa to find the other girl still sitting in bed with her hand pressed to her forehead, not looking too great.

"You okay, Lex?" Clarke asked.

"My head hurts a bit." Lexa brought her eyes up to meet Clarke's.

Clarke gave her a sympathetic look. She didn't remember Lexa drinking much more than she did, but perhaps she didn't drink enough water or just didn't have as high of a tolerance for alcohol.

"Just lie back down. I'll get you water and some aspirin for your headache," Clarke said.

Lexa nodded. "Okay."

When Clarke left the room, she was surprised to see that nobody was up yet. She rooted through the kitchen as quietly as she could to find some aspirin. It didn't take her long before she found the pill bottle in the cupboard. Trying her best to remain quiet, she grabbed two pills and filled up a glass of water before making her way back to Lexa's room.

"Here you go," Clarke said, handing the items to Lexa.

Lexa accepted the aspirin and the glass. "Thank you, Clarke."

She drank from the glass in tiny sips, careful not to drink too fast. Clarke watched as the water was emptied from the cup into Lexa's mouth, hoping that it would make the other girl feel a bit better.

"Just get some more rest and wait for the aspirin to kick in," Clarke instructed, and Lexa nodded.

Lexa laid out on the bed, and Clarke sat beside her, not wanting to leave her alone. Besides, no one else was awake, so she really had nothing else to do anyway. She felt Lexa's fingers curl around hers, and she squeezed the brunette's hand, running her thumb back and forth over the back of it. Clarke simply sat with her until Anya came in to wake them up, by which point Lexa had long since fallen asleep. Clarke brought a finger to her lips to keep Anya from waking her sister, and she gently untangled her hand from Lexa's before making her way to join the others in the living room.

After breakfast, Clarke and her friends had to leave the Woods' apartment to get to class on time. When they were about to go, Clarke went back to Lexa's room to say goodbye, but she found her best friend still sprawled across the bed, her wild tangle of brunette curls partially covering her face. Clarke smiled to herself, dropping a quick kiss on Lexa's forehead before slipping quietly out the door.

* * *

Later that day, Lexa was sitting in her psychology class, trying to stay awake. She had taken the class to fulfill part of her general education requirements and because it was an easy A, but she had not thought about the fact that this meant that the class would be extra boring. That, and the kid who was sitting a few seats away kept staring at her. She rolled her eyes at him when she caught his gaze, and she wanted nothing more than to get out of the class. Normally, she passed Clarke on her way out of it, and she hoped she wouldn't miss her today, since she had missed the blonde leaving her apartment earlier. After class, people immediately began to file out, and Lexa was about to join them when the nerdy kid who had been eyeing her during class blocked her path.

"Hey, I'm Ryan, and you might be the prettiest girl I've ever seen." The boy held out his hand for Lexa to shake.

"Then, you clearly haven't seen a lot of pretty girls," Lexa said, completely ignoring his attempt at a handshake.

He awkwardly dropped his hand back to his side. "I was just trying to compliment you. So, I'm not busy tonight. Do you want to hang out?"

"I'm not interested," Lexa stated, brushing past him.

Before she got very far, his hand closed around her wrist, holding her back.

"Listen, I've got places I need to be." Lexa tried to pull away, but his grip held firm.

"Please hang out with me, Lexa," he begged.

"How the hell do you know my name?" Lexa snapped.

He smiled at her, pushing his glasses further up his nose with his free hand. "I've been captivated by you from the first day of class. I heard your name on the roll."

Lexa didn't think this kid could be any creepier, and she made a mental note to sit on the other side of the classroom from now on. She was disgusted at the feel of his sweaty hand around her wrist, and she was seriously confused as to how her hand didn't slip right out of his grip. She was trying to think of a way to let him down nicely, so she could get away from him, when she suddenly heard another voice speak up behind her.

"Get the hell away from her." Clarke stormed to Lexa's side.

"Who are you?" he stuttered, releasing Lexa's wrist.

"Her girlfriend. And I'd advise you to leave her alone from now on." Clarke grabbed Lexa's hand, and Lexa blushed in surprise at the action and at the words that she wished so desperately were true. Lexa was glad Clarke wasn't focusing on her as she fought to get her blushing under control.

Ryan was scared shitless by the sight of an angry Clarke, but Lexa couldn't say she was opposed to it. It was certainly hot, and Lexa had to force herself to look away. Ryan quickly walked out of the classroom, mumbling that he was sorry and looking as if he might pee his pants at any moment.

Lexa turned immediately to Clarke. "Thank you for saving me."

Clarke's icy expression melted off when her eyes met Lexa's. "Of course. I still remember when you stood up for me in fourth grade."

Lexa easily remembered what Clarke was talking about. "Right. When Murphy was bullying you for reading too much, and he tore the cover off your Harry Potter book."

"And when we got home, you taped it up for me with Scotch tape. I still have that book, you know," Clarke told her.

"I never would've expected you to give it away."

Clarke's expression changed at that moment, a look of curiosity taking over. "So what's the deal with you and dating? I mean, I know that guy was a total creep, but I noticed when we were playing Never Have I Ever last night, you didn't drink for having made out with a guy."

"I've never had a boyfriend before," Lexa admitted.

"Really? You're certainly pretty enough," Clarke commented.

Lexa tried her best not to blush at the new knowledge that Clarke found her pretty. "I've just never wanted one."

"Oh. Okay." Clarke let the topic go.

Lexa realized she might have said that a little too harshly. However, she was glad that Clarke had dropped the topic. That was, until the blonde moved to an even worse one.

"Are you ever going to let go of my hand?" Clarke said it in a teasing tone, but the question hit too close to home for Lexa.

She froze, realizing that she was still holding Clarke's hand. She instantly released it as if she had been burned, and she couldn't stop her face from turning what she knew was most likely a deep scarlet. She wanted to argue that Clarke hadn't let go of her hand either, but she didn't want to sound defensive.

"Are you blushing?" Clarke asked, and Lexa wanted to run from the room.

"Yeah. I'm just…a little embarrassed that I couldn't get away from that guy myself," Lexa lied, in what she hoped was a smooth manner.

Clarke didn't question it. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you would've gotten away just fine if I hadn't come in here. I mean, it's not like you would've given in to a date with him. I just happened to look into this classroom, and I thought I'd help you out."

Lexa was suddenly curious. "Why did you look in this classroom?"

"I didn't see you in the hall like I normally do, so I looked in to see if your class had run late," Clarke explained.

"Thanks again." Lexa ran a hand through her hair.

"Like I said, no problem." Clarke glanced down at her watch. "I should probably be getting to class though."

"Of course. I'll see you later."

Lexa sighed as she watched Clarke's retreating form. She had almost blown her secret today with that stupid blush, and Lexa didn't know how much longer she could pretend that she thought of Clarke as just her best friend. She knew one thing though. She was going to have to tell Clarke. Soon.

* * *

_Nine Years Earlier_

_Clarke was reading_ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire _as she waited for Anya and Lincoln to come pick her and Lexa up from their classroom. She and the Woods' always carpooled together, and so every day, she and Lexa would wait for Anya and Lincoln so they could all walk out to the parking lot together. Lexa was gathering the books she would need for homework, so Clarke was sitting at her desk by herself at the moment. That's when the class bully, John Murphy, came up behind her, snatching the book out of her hands._

_"Doing a bit of light reading, are we, Clarkey?" Murphy sneered, and Clarke hated the way the nickname sounded coming from Murphy's mouth._

_"Give it back." Clarke stood up and turned to face him._

_Murphy ignored her, paging through the book. "How can anyone read this? I can barely read fifty pages of a book without getting bored."_

_"Maybe that's why you don't do well in school," Clarke snapped._

_"You're seriously gonna talk to me that way? I'll show you what happens to little brats who think they can be disrespectful of me," Murphy snarled, and Clarke wanted to cry as he ripped the cover off the book, throwing it to the ground._

_Clarke tried to grab the book from him, but Murphy held it up out of her reach. "Give it back!"_

_Suddenly, Lexa tore the book from Murphy's hands, stooping to pick up the cover before handing it back to the blonde and turning her furious glare on Murphy._

_"Stay away from her, Murphy," Lexa growled._

_"Thank you, Lexa," Clarke said, and Lexa nodded to her, her fierce gaze softening a bit when she looked at Clarke._

_"Oh, sure. You need your little bitch to do everything for you, don't you, Clarke?" Murphy taunted._

_"What did you call my sister?" Anya growled from behind._

_Clarke whirled around to see Anya and Lincoln standing behind her, wearing matching furious expressions. Now, Murphy had the sense to look scared, and Clarke knew exactly what was going to happen next a moment before it did. Anya didn't even give Murphy time to respond, rushing forward and punching him in the face._

_"Anya Woods!" the teacher yelled. "Principal's office. Now!"_

_Anya spun around to find Clarke and Lexa's fourth grade teacher standing in the doorway. "Yes, ma'am."_

_The four of them headed out into the hallway, Anya now heading to the principal's office rather than the parking lot. The two places were in the same direction, so Anya still got to walk with her siblings._

_"Of course the teacher walks in right when I punch Murphy, but when Murphy's bullying people, the teacher's nowhere to be seen."_

_"You won't get in trouble," Lincoln assured her._

_"I'm probably getting detention," Anya argued._

_Lincoln grabbed her arm, getting her to look at him. "You were protecting Clarke and Lexa. Mom will understand."_

_Anya sighed, and her shoulders slumped. "I know. Clarke, tell your mom she doesn't have to wait for me to talk to the principal. My mom can pick me up later."_

_Clarke shook her head. "We'll wait for you."_

_"It might take a while," Anya argued._

_"We'll wait," Clarke insisted._

_When they reached the principal's office, Anya stopped at the door, turning to face her siblings. "Well, this is me. See you guys on the other side."_

_"Thank you, Anya," Clarke said sincerely._

_"Anytime, Munchkin." Anya grinned before disappearing inside the room._

_As the three of them walked outside to find Clarke's mom, the blonde looked down at her book and the cover that had been torn from it, and tears started to form in her eyes at the sight. She always kept her books in pristine condition, and she hated seeing one of her favorites ruined._

_"Don't worry, Clarke. My mom has this big Scotch tape at home. We can tape the cover back on easily," Lexa spoke up beside her._

_Clarke turned her big blue eyes up to meet Lexa's. "Really?"_

_"Sure. I wish I could say it would be as good as new, but it will be close," Lexa promised._

_"Thank you, Lexie," Clarke said, reaching down to squeeze the brunette's hand, and Lexa just smiled as they walked to where Clarke's mom was waiting._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter! Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

The next day, Clarke was sitting at her desk, working on some homework while Octavia sat across the room doing something on her phone. Clarke was getting a bit annoyed at her, though, when Octavia kept clicking on videos and letting them play out loud.

"O, can you please put your headphones in, or stop clicking on videos? It's really distracting," Clarke said, turning to look at her.

Octavia looked up from her phone. "Yeah, sorry. I didn't know it was bothering you."

Clarke turned back to her computer screen and was back to typing when she heard Octavia speak up behind her again. "What are you working on?"

"A stupid essay for English." Clarke didn't look away from the screen.

"What's it about?" Octavia asked.

Clarke groaned and took her hands off the keyboard. "Talking to me isn't any less distracting than playing your videos aloud." Clarke made a face. "In fact, it's more distracting."

"Sorry." Octavia pantomimed zipping her lips. "I'll be quiet."

Clarke had just started typing again when she heard her cell phone buzz. She figured it was probably Raven, as she was in class at the moment, and while Clarke seriously thought about ignoring it, she didn't. However, when she looked at the screen, she found that the message was not from Raven, but from Anya.

 **Anya:** _Hey, Clarkey. It's Anya. In case you were wondering, I got your number from Lex. We're going to Dave and Buster's tonight since we haven't been in a while, and I was wondering if you want to join us, for old times' sake._

**Clarke:** _Yeah, that sounds like fun. Thanks for inviting_ _me!_

**Anya:** _We'll pick you up at six?_

 **Clarke:** _We can't all fit on Lexa's motorcycle, you know? :P_

**Anya:** _Very funny. I have a car._

**Clarke:** _I know. I was just messing with you. But yeah six is fine._

**Anya:** _Great. See you then!_

"Oh, because texting is so much less distracting than me talking to you." Clarke was startled by the sound of Octavia's voice behind her, having totally forgotten her roommate was there.

"Sorry. That was Anya," Clarke explained. "She was asking if I wanted to go to Dave and Buster's with them tonight."

Octavia's eyes lit up in excitement. "Are we all going?"

"Octavia, this is kind of a family thing." Clarke did not miss it when Octavia's excitement instantly turned into disappointment. "You can come next time though. I promise."

Clarke smiled to herself at the prospect of going to Dave and Buster's with the Woods' again. Clarke hadn't been lying when she told Octavia it was a family thing. The four of them used to go all the time as children, and Clarke was extremely excited to finally be going again.

* * *

Later that night, Lexa found herself in front of the Skee Ball machines beside her siblings and Clarke. Clarke and Anya were being as competitive as ever, and Lexa tried her best to stay out of it, calmly rolling ball after ball down the lane. Lexa could admit that she was not great at Skee Ball, but she had to say she did get a little excited when her last ball landed in the hole in the center.

Anya threw her hands in the air. "I won!"

"By a point," Clarke protested with a scowl.

"Good game, Clarke, but I still beat you," Anya bragged.

Clarke sighed in defeat, running a hand through her beautiful blond hair. "Alright. Since you've beaten us all four times in a row, let's try something else."

They walked around through aisles of flashing arcade games until Lexa's eyes settled on one called Down the Clown. It consisted of three rows of clown bowling pins, and the players had to throw red balls at them to knock them down. There were only two machines, so they had to play in teams. Lexa partnered with Clarke, and Anya took the other machine with Lincoln. When the game began, Lexa pelted the balls at the pins, and they continuously fell and stood themselves back up until the time ran out.

"Damn, you're good," Anya said when she noticed their respective scores.

Lincoln looked up at the scores as well, noticing that Clarke and Lexa had beaten him and Anya by almost 200 points. "We're going to need a rematch."

Clarke and Lexa were all too happy to play again. They made the perfect team, throwing balls in sync with perfect aim and knocking down clown after clown after clown. Anya and Lincoln didn't do very well in the second game either, but Clarke and Lexa got a score high enough to win the jackpot.

"We won the jackpot!" Clarke exclaimed.

"You guys are too good at this," Anya whined. "I'm going to do something else."

Lexa grabbed Anya's arm to stop her from leaving. "But this is so much fun."

"And it's a great way to win lots of tickets," Clarke added.

"I'll go with Anya to play something else," Lincoln suggested. "You two can stay here."

Lexa dipped her head to Lincoln in thanks as she watched him and Anya disappear into the crowd. Lexa smiled when she turned back to Clarke, and she raised one eyebrow at the blonde in question. Clarke nodded to her, and Lexa swiped the card again.

* * *

At the end of the night, Clarke, Lexa, Lincoln, and Anya decided to play what had always been their traditional last game: the race cars. Lexa chose a seat in the middle, and Clarke plopped into the seat beside her.

Anya stared at them in over exaggerated shock. "What are you doing? You guys aren't going to play how you usually do?"

Lexa blanched at the memory, immediately on the defensive. "Anya, we're not kids anymore."

"For old times' sake?" Clarke seemed to have other ideas.

Lexa knew that there was no way she was ever going to be able to say no to Clarke when the blonde was looking at her with those big blue eyes of hers. "Fine."

Clarke climbed into the seat and settled between Lexa's legs, moving her hands up to grip the steering wheel. Lexa blushed as she reached her foot out to rest on the gas pedal. When they were younger, they were too small to reach the gas pedal, so they would sit side by side in the seat, and one would drive while the other hit the gas. Even when they got old enough to actually reach, they never broke the tradition. Now, Lexa was having a hard time concentrating on anything other than the feeling of Clarke's back pressed against her front, and she was sure her face was beet red. She wanted to bring her hand up to rest on Clarke's waist, but she didn't know what she would say if Clarke questioned it, so she left her hands at her sides. When the race began, Lexa turned her attention to the game, and she hoped that concentrating on the race would bring her face back to its normal color. However, she was amazed she even managed to control the gas with the way her heart was beating so crazily. She prayed to anyone who was listening that Clarke would not be able to feel it pounding against her back. When Clarke and Lexa pulled across the finish line, they were in second place, losing to Lincoln.

"You're in last place, An. Looks like you lose," Lincoln teased.

"Shut up," Anya grumbled in response.

Clarke clambered out of Lexa's lap and extended a hand to help the brunette to her feet as well. Lexa shot Clarke a shaky smile before glaring at Anya over the blond girl's head once she had turned away. Her sister just shrugged and headed to claim her prizes with her tickets.

* * *

On the way out of the arcade, Lexa noticed Clarke looking at something inside one of the claw games. She thought the blonde's eyes were resting on a red heart pillow, but she wasn't sure so she asked anyway. "What are you looking at?"

Clarke tore her gaze away from the machine, startled as if she had forgotten the others were there, before answering, "Just that heart pillow. It's really cute."

"I can get it for you." Lexa knew the minute she saw Clarke looking at it that there was no way they were leaving without it.

"I don't know. Those things can be hard to get," Clarke said doubtfully.

"Do you not remember who you're talking to? I was always great at the claw games, and lucky for you, I still am." Lexa smiled.

"Lexa, we're leaving," Anya groaned.

"Just one try?" Lexa pleaded.

Lincoln shrugged his shoulders. "Go for it."

Lexa stepped up to the game, slid her money into it, and positioned the claw directly over the heart pillow. She moved to the side of the machine to make sure it was in the perfect place, and then she hit the button, dropping the claw. It easily picked up the heart, dropping it into the chute, and Lexa plucked it out before handing it to Clarke. She wished she could tell Clarke she loved her, since it was a heart, but she settled instead for, "See? Told you I could do it."

"Thanks, Lexa. You're the best," Clarke said, placing a quick kiss on Lexa's cheek.

Lexa's face turned a deep shade of red, and she watched as Anya purposely stumbled, drawing Clarke's attention away from Lexa. The brunette gave her sister a grateful look as they made their way out to the car. Lexa didn't know how much more of this she could take. She needed to tell Clarke how she felt, and she hoped that maybe the blonde felt the same way. It was certainly possible, but even so, Anya was right. She needed to be honest with Clarke. Maybe she would tell Clarke tonight when they dropped her off at her dorm. Maybe.

* * *

Lexa walked Clarke into her dorm building, stopping outside the door of Clarke's room, and the blonde turned to say goodbye to her. "Thanks for letting me tag along with you guys tonight."

"It wouldn't have been the same without you."

Lexa's heart was racing as she tried to decide whether or not to tell Clarke how she felt. She must have had a weird look on her face, because Clarke's expression morphed from a happy smile to a confused frown.

"Lexa, is everything alright?"

Lexa took a deep breath before bringing her eyes up to meet the blonde's. "Clarke, there's something I need to tell you, and you're probably not going to like it, but Anya said that I should be honest with you, and she's right. I like you as more than a friend. Ever since I've been back here, it's different, the way that I feel when I look at you, when I touch you. I tried to fight it for a while because I didn't want to feel this way, but I can't. There's nothing I can do about it, and I was just wondering if there was even a tiny possibility that maybe you might feel the same way about me."

"Wow, Lexa, I…I have a boyfriend," Clarke admitted, looking shocked.

"A boyfriend?" Lexa echoed. She hadn't even considered this possibility.

"Yes. His name is Finn, and I've been with him for two years. I'm straight, Lexa," Clarke said carefully.

Lexa felt the air rush out of her lungs at that statement. Clarke had a boyfriend. Clarke was straight. Clarke would never want Lexa the way she wanted Clarke. Lexa sighed, hoping that Clarke didn't hate her now as well.

"I'm sorry, Clarke. I hope I didn't just go and mess everything up," Lexa muttered dejectedly.

Clarke immediately put a hand on her arm, squeezing gently. "Of course not, Lexa. You like me. It's not a crime to have a crush on me, and I'm sorry that I can never return those feelings, but we can still be friends. I mean, if you still want to be."

Lexa looked up in surprise. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, I don't want you to think I'm taking advantage of you because of your feelings for me," Clarke explained.

"I want to be friends. Maybe a little less of the hand holding and invading each other's personal space though." Lexa looked pointedly at Clarke's hand that was still resting on her arm.

"Right," Clarke said, letting her arm fall back to her side.

Lexa couldn't help but notice that the other girl looked a bit disappointed at the prospect of having to be careful around her best friend, but Lexa knew it was for the best. How was she ever supposed to get over the blonde if they kept finding themselves in compromising situations?

"So I guess you found your Prince Zander then." Lexa finally spoke.

"I always pictured Zander with a different shade of eyes," Clarke mused, "but yeah. Something like that."

Lexa suddenly felt like her throat was closing up, and she knew she needed to get out of there as soon as she could.

"I should probably get going," she said, giving Clarke a sad smile. "I'll see you later."

"Goodnight, Commander," Clarke replied softly, before adding, "Thank you for being honest with me."

Lexa simply nodded before turning to leave the dorm building. As she walked out into the cool night air, she couldn't hold back the tear that slipped from her eye and made a trail down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away before anyone could see. She would tell her siblings what had happened. Just not yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So our poor Lexa is in love with her "straight" best friend. But don't worry, Clarke will soon be finding out that she is not as straight as she thinks! ;)  
> I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

Clarke walked into her dorm room, feeling pretty shaken up. Lexa had a crush on her. It was crazy to think about it. Sure, they were older now, but they'd never had this problem when they were kids. This new development bothered Clarke a lot more than she had let on to Lexa. She didn't want to have to watch herself around her best friend. More importantly, she didn't want to hurt her. After so much time apart, she just wanted things to go back to the way they were.

Octavia looked up from where she sat at her desk. "So, how was D&B?"

"Fun." Clarke barely spared her a glance, lost in a whirlwind of thoughts.

"Are you sure? You don't sound like you had fun." Raven easily picked up on her mood from her tone of voice and the way she seemed distracted. She noticed the object that Clarke was clutching tightly in her hands, and she pointed to it. "Did you get that pillow there?"

Clarke looked down and remembered she was still holding the heart pillow that Lexa had won for her. With her new found knowledge, Clarke wondered if Lexa meant something more from the gesture than Clarke had originally thought. She wasn't sure how she felt about that.

"Yeah. Lexa got it for me," Clarke finally answered.

Octavia's brow furrowed in confusion. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It's not." Clarke sighed, flopping down onto her bed. "It's just that I learned something tonight, and I'm not sure what to make of it."

Clarke closed her eyes, wishing her friends would just leave her alone, but she knew they would want to know more. Clarke cracked an eye open when she heard Octavia speak again. "What is it?"

Clarke sat up on the bed to face her friends, but she couldn't bring herself to meet their eyes. "Lexa told me she has feelings for me."

The room went silent at the news. Whatever Raven and Octavia had been expecting Clarke to tell them, it definitely wasn't that. She finally chanced a look at her roommates and found them staring at her in shock. Clarke was glad when her gaze seemed to spur them back into action.

"What are you going to do about it?" Raven spoke up.

"There's nothing I can do," Clarke muttered. "I can't make her feelings go away." She so desperately wished that she could.

"I know, but are you still going to be friends?" Raven asked.

Clarke laid back onto her bed again. "Yeah. Just because she likes me doesn't mean she's not my best friend anymore. I still care about her."

"Do you think it will make things awkward between you two?" Octavia asked curiously.

"Only time will tell," Clarke murmured.

After that, her friends finally stopped with their barrage of questions, seemingly picking up on the fact that Clarke did not want to talk about it anymore tonight. Clarke was thankful for their silence as she turned to face the wall, burying her face in her pillow to hide her tears.

* * *

That night, when Lexa got back to her apartment, she immediately went into her room and collapsed tiredly onto her bed. She didn't know what she had been expecting, but for some reason, she had actually hoped that Clarke might have feelings for her too. Oh, how wrong she had been. She hadn't said a word during the whole car ride back, so she wasn't surprised when she heard a knock on her door. A few seconds later, her brother and sister were pushing into the room and sitting on the edge of her bed.

Anya rested a hand on Lexa's leg. "Lexa, what happened? You were happy all night, but when you came back to the car, you looked like your entire world had fallen apart. What happened between you and Clarke?"

"Nothing," Lexa mumbled, wishing for all the world that her siblings would go away.

"Is this about that thing we talked about last weekend?" Anya asked knowingly. "Did you finally tell her?"

Lincoln looked completely confused. "What thing? Tell her what?"

Lexa just shrugged, still lying on her bed and refusing to look at either one of them. "I'm in love with Clarke," she stated nonchalantly.

"Clarke?" Lincoln stared in shock for a moment. "So you told her?"

Lexa nodded, refusing to explain until the last minute.

"And I assume she didn't take it very well," Lincoln deduced.

Anya's eyes sparked in anger. "If she was mean to you in any way, Lexa—"

Lexa finally sat up to face them, looking at them with watery green eyes. "She wasn't. She took it fine. I just let myself hope that she has feelings for me, and she doesn't."

"Aw, Lexa, what'd she say?" Anya asked, and Lexa didn't think she'd ever seen her sister look so sympathetic.

"She said that she has a boyfriend, and she's straight." Tears began to trail down Lexa's cheeks. She reached up to wipe them away when Anya pulled her into a hug, and Lincoln wrapped his arms around the both of them as well. Lexa allowed herself to cry into her siblings, finally letting the tears, which she had been holding in since she left Clarke that night, flow.

Anya murmured soothingly to her as she cried. "It's okay, Lexa. You'll get through this. We'll help you get through this as best as we can."

"Thanks, guys." Lexa finally pulled back from the group hug and wiped away her tears. "But I think this is something I have to get through on my own. I still want to be friends with her."

"Will it be awkward now?" Lincoln asked.

"I seriously hope not," Lexa said, "but I can't be sure. I don't know what in the world I'll say when I see her again, but I'll figure something out when I'm ready."

Anya patted her arm. "Don't feel rushed to sort things out with her. Take your time. I'm sure Clarke will understand."

"Thank you. Seriously," Lexa said, "but I'd really like to be left alone right now."

"Of course. Let's go, An." Lincoln grabbed Anya's arm and began leading her from the room.

The two of them left without another word, and Lexa was grateful for the peace and quiet. She didn't know if she could pick up where she left off with Clarke and stay friends forever, but she knew she couldn't let their friendship go completely because of her stupid feelings. She just hoped Clarke being aware of these feelings didn't have to make things awkward between the two of them. However, she knew, deep down, that Clarke would never act awkward around her. She knew that she would be the one who would have to try her best not to be awkward around Clarke.

* * *

The next day, Clarke did not see Lexa at all. The brunette did not text her either. Clarke thought about sending Lexa a text, but she thought that maybe her best friend simply needed some space, so she decided against it.

The day after that, Clarke was sitting in her dorm room by herself, working on some homework. She was seated on her bed, leaning back against the wall as she focused on the textbook in her lap. When she heard a knock at the door, she groaned, rolling her eyes and making her way to open the door for whichever of her roommates had forgotten their key. However, she opened the door to see brunette curls and a forest of green staring back at her.

"Lexa, what are you doing here?" Clarke asked before she could stop herself.

"I brought you coffee," Lexa said, holding it out to her. Clarke was really surprised to see Lexa here so out of the blue like this, especially after what happened two days ago, but she could not say the brunette was unwelcome.

"Is this a bad time? I can leave if you want," Lexa offered when Clarke made no move to take the coffee or let her in.

"No, you're fine. I'm just surprised is all," Clarke insisted, accepting the coffee. "You didn't tell me you were coming by."

Clarke stepped aside and allowed Lexa to enter the room. Clarke returned to her position on her bed and closed her textbook, but Lexa made no move to join her. The brunette stood in the center of the room for a moment, looking awkward, before sinking into Clarke's desk chair.

"Sorry. I don't have any homework, so I figured I would come spend time with you," Lexa explained.

"You don't have to apologize. You're my best friend, Lexa. I don't want things to be awkward between us." Clarke allowed that to sink in before adding, "Now, will you please come over and sit on the bed with me?"

"Yeah, sure," Lexa agreed, moving to sit beside Clarke on the bed. She still looked pretty out of place, and Clarke began to wonder how the girl had worked up the courage to come here at all. She looked like she might bolt at any moment. Lexa leaned back against the wall, and Clarke couldn't help but notice that the brunette made sure they weren't touching, leaving a sizable space between the two of them. Clarke also couldn't help but notice that she, for some reason, felt extremely disappointed at the distance.

"So how are you doing in your classes so far?" Clarke asked, breaking the silence.

Lexa looked up as if Clarke had scared her, startled out of her thoughts. "Pretty good. My chemistry class is kind of difficult though."

"So you're still not great at science," Clarke deduced, trying to ignore Lexa's awkwardness. "Don't worry. My literature essays could still stand to be much better than they are."

"We can always help each other like we used to," Lexa offered, smiling.

"That would be very helpful to both of us, I think." Clarke was surprised that Lexa was smiling, let alone offering for them to spend more time together, and she could see the brunette's awkward exterior beginning to melt off and her best friend starting to peek through again.

Just then, there was another knock on the door, to Clarke's annoyance, shattering the progress that they had been making. Clarke groaned, not wanting to get up again, and called out, "Come in!"

Clarke was surprised again when she saw her mother make her way through the door. "Hello, Clarke, I—oh I didn't realize you had company. Wait a minute. Is that…Lexa?"

"Yes. Hello, Mrs. Griffin, it's great to see you again." Lexa stood up from the bed.

"And you as well, dear," Abby said, moving to wrap Lexa in a hug. "I was just coming to take Clarke out for dinner, but you're welcome to join."

"That's okay. I wouldn't want to intrude on your mother-daughter time," Lexa mumbled, looking quite uncomfortable again.

"You're fine, Lexa. I'd actually prefer it if you came," Clarke said, surprising herself. "Where are we going?"

"I was going to let you decide, but we can always go to Serby's."

Both of the girls' eyes lit up at the mention of Serby's. It had been their favorite place to go as kids, and they had gone many times with Clarke's mother.

"Yeah. That would be great," Clarke agreed enthusiastically, and Lexa nodded her assent.

* * *

When they arrived at the restaurant, Clarke and Lexa ordered their usual order of buffalo wings, which they would split between them, and Abby got a chicken salad. Lexa seemed to be more at ease now that Abby was around.

"I cannot believe you're back, Lexa," Abby said once they had placed their orders, and the waitress had left. "You were so small the last time I saw you. You look very grown up now."

Lexa dipped her head shyly. "Thank you."

"So you are going to Polis University as well?" Abby asked, and Lexa nodded. "Clarke conveniently forgot to mention it to me." Abby shot a pointed look at at her daughter.

"I was going to," Clarke said hurriedly, "I just forgot. It was crazy seeing Lexa again, and I've been trying to spend a lot of time with her so we can get reacquainted, and I forgot to mention her when we talked on the phone."

"I'm sorry I showed up unannounced and kind of intruded on your time together," Abby apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Lexa replied. "I kind of showed up unannounced as well."

"Yes, but you're my best friend. You're allowed to show up whenever," Clarke said, leaning her head on Lexa's shoulder. It was at that moment that she remembered Lexa's request for Clarke to stop invading her personal space, but it was too late. She had totally forgotten about it. Being with her mom made it even easier than usual to fall back into her old habits. Luckily, Lexa seemed to take it in stride, not even tensing up at the action, and even looping her arm around Clarke's waist as well.

"And she's your mother, Clarke. She should be allowed the same thing," Lexa chided, leaning her cheek against the top of Clarke's head. Clarke was surprised that Lexa was allowing this, what with how awkward she had been acting earlier. She seemed so comfortable now in this moment, and Clarke was seriously hoping that she would remain this way. Still, she didn't want to overstep her boundaries, so she pulled away from Lexa and sat upright again.

"Thank you, Lexa. I see you two are still as close as ever," Abby remarked.

"Yeah, we may have spent a lot of time apart, but we never stopped caring about each other." Clarke looked to Lexa with a smile. "We're still best friends."

"Are Anya and Lincoln back here too? How are they?" Abby asked.

"Yes, they moved back here a while ago. They're both doing quite well," Lexa informed her.

"That's great." She was about to say more when the waitress brought over their food, and they fell into a moment of silence as they all dug in. Clarke had to admit she was hungry, so she went immediately for the wings. The conversation picked up again after a couple minutes, and they talked easily. Clarke felt almost as though she was a child again, and she almost forgot about the new knowledge that she'd acquired on Tuesday night.

When they had finally finished their food, and were about to head out, Clarke stopped them, putting her hand on Lexa's arm. "We can't leave without playing the arcade games."

"They still have those?" Lexa raised an eyebrow.

"Of course. Come on, we at least have to play Pac-Man," Clarke pleaded.

Lexa's face broke out in a grin. "Lead the way."

Abby smiled, having heard the brief exchange, and she was glad to see that the girls were still getting along so well as they headed to the arcade room. She waited at the front of the restaurant for the girls, sitting in one of the chairs in the waiting area, just as she always had when they were younger. When the two girls entered the arcade room, Lexa slid a quarter into the Pac-Man machine, and the game began.

"Would you like to go first, Clarke?" Lexa asked.

"Sure," Clarke answered, stepping up to play.

She pressed the start button, guiding her character away from the ghosts as best she could. She noticed that Lexa was standing rather close to her and wasn't moving away. She took this as a good sign, because it showed that Lexa was feeling comfortable around Clarke again, and this made the blonde sigh in relief. However, this happy feeling drifted away when Clarke didn't even manage to make it all the way through the first round without losing her three lives.

"Damn it," Clarke hissed, remembering how they used to be able to so easily beat the game when they were kids.

"Better luck next time, Clarke." Lexa stepped up to the machine, sliding another quarter in. Clarke laughed when Lexa did not complete the round either. That was, until she realized that Lexa had gotten a higher score than her.

"It looks like we need to brush up on our Pac-Man skills. Especially you, seeing as I beat you," Lexa teased.

Clarke shoved her side. "Don't talk about it."

When they got back to where Abby was waiting, she turned and smiled at the girls. "That was quick. You guys used to spend a lot longer in there when you were kids."

"It would appear that we are not as good at Pac-Man as we once were."

"That's a shame." Abby laughed.

"That's okay. We can work on it." Clarke looked hopefully at her best friend.

Lexa smiled teasingly back at her. "Yes, and maybe next time, you will not lose."

Clarke grumbled to herself as they walked out of the restaurant, but she was simply glad that the awkward tension between her and Lexa had seemingly disappeared.

* * *

When Clarke said goodbye to her mother and Lexa that night, she knew their time together could not have been more perfect. Being back there made everything that felt wrong between her and Lexa in the past two days feel right again. They had talked easily with Abby, and the awkwardness that had developed between the two of them was gone. Clarke felt much better as she walked into her dorm room that night, knowing that her relationship with her best friend was most likely repaired.

"Hey," Raven greeted from her place beside Octavia on the top bunk.

"Hey, Rae. Hey, O," Clarke said, smiling widely.

"What's with the huge smile?" Raven cocked her head to the side, smiling herself.

Clarke hopped up to sit on top of her desk. "My mom came to visit today and took me and Lexa to Serby's."

"Serby's? The chicken place?" Octavia asked.

Clarke nodded. "Yup. My mom always used to take us there when we were younger. We love the buffalo wings."

"Glad to see you all happy," Raven said, before asking, "It wasn't awkward then?"

"Nope. A little at first when Lexa came to my room, but the minute we went out to eat, it was like everything was back to normal again," Clarke answered. "At least, it seemed that way."

"Good. Maybe we can all hang out together again sometime soon," Octavia was all too eager to say.

Clarke gave her a knowing look. "You just want to see Lincoln again."

Raven instantly whipped her head around to look at Octavia. "You're crushing on Lincoln?"

"Thanks for that, Clarke." Octavia shot the blonde an exasperated look.

"Anytime, O." Clarke flashed her friend a smirk, leaving Octavia to deal with Raven's onslaught of questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things seem to be back to normal for our lovely ladies, but will it stay that way? The answer is not for long. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Happy Wednesday! So this is the chapter where Clarke will finally begin to realize her feelings. I'll let you read on to find out how! :) Enjoy!

That night, when Lexa got back to her apartment, she walked in to find herself surrounded by darkness. The only light came from the TV, which Anya and Lincoln were currently watching. Lexa wandered over to sit by Anya on the couch, looking to the television screen to see that they were watching some movie she didn't recognize. She was just about to ask what it was when Anya spoke.

"Where were you all day?"

"I was at Clarke's. I went to spend time with her since I didn't have much homework, and her mom came to take her out to dinner, so I tagged along," Lexa explained.

"Where'd you go?" Anya didn't move her eyes from the screen.

"Serby's," Lexa answered.

That got Anya's attention. She whipped her head around to look at Lexa, her movie forgotten. "You guys went to Serby's without us?!"

"I swear, I would've invited you guys if I would have known in advance, but Clarke's mother showed up unannounced. I had no idea we were going until we were walking out the door," Lexa told her.

Lincoln finally spoke up from where he sat on Anya's other side. "How was it? Being with Clarke."

Lexa laughed a little. "Really awkward at first. Like so awkward. But once Abby arrived, I don't know…things kind of just went back to normal. Clarke was never the one being awkward. It was me the whole time. Being at Serby's made it easier to fall back into habits, and it stopped being so awkward. We were just best friends again, like always. Even though it hurts beyond belief that she will never return my feelings, I don't ever want to stop being best friends with her. I'm sure I'll find someone someday who I can move on with, and then things will return to the way they're supposed to be."

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better," Anya said sincerely.

"Me too," Lincoln agreed. "It's great that you and Clarke are still able to be friends."

Lexa also agreed. She wasn't sure, at first, if this was something she could continue doing. When she had first gone over to Clarke's dorm room, she had wanted nothing more than to leave. Being around Clarke only reminded her of everything she wanted and could never have. When they had gotten to Serby's though, being with Abby and being in that familiar atmosphere had made it extremely easy for Lexa to fall back into the way she usually acted around Clarke. Even though Clarke had slipped up and leaned against Lexa's shoulder, Lexa allowed it because by that point she had realized everything she already had and would be losing if she stopped hanging around with the blonde. Clarke wasn't just the girl Lexa had fallen in love with. She was also her best friend, and Lexa was not ready to drive Clarke away by acting awkward because she couldn't have Clarke in the way that she wanted. She considered herself lucky that she had Clarke back in her life at all, and she wasn't about to throw everything they had away because of her stupid feelings. She would just go on with life as she had been, and hopefully someday soon, she would find someone who would love her back so that she could quell the dull ache that seemed to have permanently taken up residence in her chest.

"So does this mean we can hang out with Clarke and her friends again soon? I really liked them." Anya drew Lexa out of her thoughts.

Lexa nodded her head. "Of course. I like them as well."

"Good. It's great that you and Clarke are still getting along. I was afraid we were going to have to pick sides, and between you and me, I would've probably picked hers." Anya winked at her sister.

This drew a smile to Lexa's lips as she elbowed the older girl in the stomach, causing Anya to laugh aloud. Lexa was grateful that her sister always seemed to know what to say to cheer her up.

* * *

That Saturday, Clarke found herself over at Finn's apartment, having Subway for lunch. She looked up at Finn as she bit into her ham and cheese sandwich, watching as he ate his own meatball sub. She, Octavia, and Raven were going out to the club that night with Lexa and her siblings, and Clarke was still trying to decide whether or not she wanted to invite her boyfriend along. She knew that he was aware of how important Lexa was to her and therefore wanted to meet the brunette, but Clarke wasn't sure that would be a good idea right now, what with Lexa's revelation from earlier in the week. Then again, she didn't want Finn to find out from someone else that she had been going out with her friends and the Woods' and think that she was avoiding him or something, so she knew she was going to have to invite him. She only hoped it would not be too awkward for Lexa.

"Rae, O, and I are hanging out with Lexa and her siblings tonight at the club. Do you want to tag along?" Clarke asked him.

Finn shot her a smile. "That sounds like fun. I can't wait to meet Lexa."

"I hope you'll like her."

"I'm sure I will."

Clarke winced when she noticed his genuine excitement to meet Lexa, and she could only hope he wouldn't make things awkward between her and her best friend again. She hadn't told him about Lexa's feelings for her yet, and she didn't think she was going to. She didn't want him to get jealous or something and make her choose between him and Lexa. That would break her heart. She only hoped he wouldn't figure it out and that this evening would go as smoothly as possible.

* * *

When Clarke stepped into the club that night, she immediately felt at home amongst the crowd. She knew it was probably weird, but the loud thumping of the music and the flashing lights of the disco ball comforted her. She looked through the mass of dancing bodies to where Anya, Lincoln, and Lexa were seated at a circular booth in the corner. She quickly led her group over to meet them, sliding into the booth beside Anya.

"Hey, guys," Clarke greeted.

"Who's this?" Anya asked, pointing to Finn.

"This is my boyfriend, Finn." Clarke grabbed his hand. "Finn, meet Anya, Lincoln, and Lexa." She pointed to each of the siblings in turn.

Anya eyed Finn distastefully, and Clarke sighed internally. She knew that Anya disliked Finn because she saw him as the thing that was keeping Clarke from her sister. She wished Anya could see that it was the fault of Clarke's own feelings or lack thereof and that Finn had nothing to do with it, but she knew how Anya was. Clarke was just grateful that Lincoln at least offered Finn a polite nod.

Finn turned his attention to Lexa. "Lexa, hi. I've heard so much about you in the past few days that I feel like I've already met you." He extended his hand across the table for her to shake.

Lexa looked like she felt extremely out of place, but she forced a smile and politely shook Finn's hand. "It's great to finally meet you as well. I've heard about you too."

Clarke knew this was a lie. She hadn't brought Finn up around Lexa since the night the other girl learned of his existence. The brunette never brought him up, and Clarke didn't feel right talking to her about him now that she was aware of Lexa's feelings, because she didn't want to hurt her best friend. She was glad Lexa lied though. She supposed normal girls would likely gush to their best friends about their boyfriends a lot. She certainly did to Octavia and Raven when she and Finn first got together, and she didn't want to give Finn any reason to suspect Lexa's feelings for her.

"So Lexie Loo told me you guys went to Serby's with Abby on Thursday and didn't invite us." Anya brought the attention back to her before Finn could say anything more to Lexa, and Clarke wondered if it was on purpose. She wasn't offended by it though. She thought it best to keep Finn and Lexa's interactions to a minimum as well.

"Yes, we did, but she just showed up out of the blue without telling me, and Lexa just happened to already be there." Clarke tried to defend herself.

Anya pouted. "That's still mean, Munchkin." Anya dipped the tips of her fingers into the tea she had been drinking before flicking droplets all over Clarke.

"Anya!" Clarke yelled in disbelief.

She grabbed an ice cube out of Anya's drink and threw it at her, and the older girl let out an outraged cry. Anya grabbed her drink, and Clarke was worried for a minute that the tea was about to be all over her, but Lincoln grabbed onto his sister's arm, stopping her before she could get the glass off the table. "Children, calm down. We're here to dance. Not act like we're five."

Clarke and Anya both mumbled something under their breath, but Raven seemed to agree with Lincoln. "That's right! We're here to dance, so what are we waiting for? Let's dance!"

They all slid out of the booth, and then Raven grabbed Anya with one hand and Lexa with the other, pulling them out onto the dance floor. Lexa looked back at Clarke with a bewildered expression, and Clarke shot her an encouraging smile. Clarke was glad to see Raven trying to get along with her friends, but she also shook her head at the spunky girl's sporadic behavior.

Finn spoke up beside her. "So. Wanna dance?"

"Yeah. In a second." Clarke's focus was on something else.

Clarke noticed that Lincoln was making his way over to join his sisters and Raven on the dance floor, but she knew that Octavia would love to dance with him. If she wasn't mistaken, he might want to dance with Octavia too. She hurried after him, grabbing onto his arm to get his attention before he reached the others.

"Lincoln, what do you think of Octavia?" Clarke asked up front, not skirting around the topic at all.

"Octavia? She's pretty cool. Why?" Lincoln looked confused.

Clarke gave him a knowing look. "Lincoln, you can be real with me. Do you like her?"

He hesitated for a moment, looking conflicted, before letting out a deep breath. "She is really pretty," he admitted.

"You should ask her to dance," Clarke encouraged. "She'd love that."

"I don't know if she—"

Clarke didn't even allow him to finish his sentence. "She's one of my closest friends, Lincoln. I know she won't turn you down."

Lincoln looked at her for a long moment, seemingly searching her eyes for something. Whatever it was, he found it because a moment later, he was giving her a nod of gratitude. As he made his way over to where Octavia was now dancing with the others, he turned back to look at Clarke, and she gave him a thumbs up. She watched on as he walked over to Octavia, asking her something that caused her cheeks to flush pink. She nodded in answer, and they split off a little from the group, finding a place where they could dance together. Clarke smiled to herself before walking back over to where Finn was waiting for her.

"Playing matchmaker, huh?" Finn asked, pulling her onto the dance floor.

Clarke put her hands around the back of Finn's neck as they began to sway to the music. "I just wanted to do something nice for my friends."

"You're amazing, you know that?" Finn whispered in her ear.

She smiled and turned her head to kiss him on the cheek.

* * *

After a long time of dancing with Octavia, Lincoln offered to go get them some drinks, and Octavia swooned at the chivalrous gesture. While she was waiting for him to come back, she made her way over to talk to Raven, who was still dancing with Lexa and Anya. When Raven saw her coming, she excused herself from the group, walking over to meet her best friend halfway with a smirk. "So, how's dancing with Lincoln?"

"Fantastic! He said he wants to hang out sometime, Raven. Just the two of us!" Octavia gushed, not even bothering to try hiding her attraction.

"That's great. I guess you owe Clarke then," Raven told her, raising an eyebrow. "She was the one who encouraged Lincoln to ask you to dance."

"Really? Yeah. I guess I do," Octavia decided, thinking for a moment before adding, "Maybe I'll finally let her use a bit of my special Taylor Swift perfume."

"Or you could help me get her a dance with someone special." Raven had an amused smirk on her face.

Octavia wondered what on earth Raven was talking about, but she knew the other girl was up to no good because of the mischievous twinkle in her eye. Either she was suggesting they do something to mess with Clarke, or she had found out about something that Octavia didn't know. Octavia was seriously hoping it was the latter, because she didn't want to be pulled into one of Raven's crazy schemes. Octavia turned to look over her shoulder to see Clarke swaying in time to the music with Finn, and she turned back to Raven with a confused expression on her face. "She's already dancing with Finn. What are you talking about?"

"I'm not talking about Finn," Raven clarified. "I mean, sure, she's dancing with Finn, but she keeps looking at someone else. At first, I thought she was looking at me to make sure I was mingling nicely with her friends, but she's not. She's looking at Lexa."

Octavia gave her best friend an incredulous look. "Wait a second. Back up. You think she has feelings for Lexa?"

"I think so, but I'm not sure. There's only one way to find out," Raven stated, a mischievous smirk across her face.

Octavia sighed. "Do I even want to know what it is?"

Raven shook her head. "Probably not. But I'll tell you anyway. I know the DJ here. I can ask her if I can spin for a while, and I'll do a shout out to Clarke and Lexa. Make up some shit about how they've been apart for years, so the crowd will support me. That way, Clarke and Lexa will have to dance together, and Clarke can realize her feelings."

"If they even exist." Octavia looked at her skeptically. "I don't know about this. It's kind of rude to play with Lexa's feelings like that. Don't you think?"

"If we're even playing at all." Raven nodded her head in Clarke's direction. "Look at Clarke, and tell me you aren't curious to find out if I'm right."

Octavia turned to look at where Clarke was dancing with Finn, wondering how it was that Raven got such crazy ideas in her head. Only, Octavia soon realized that Raven's idea might not be so crazy at all. Sure enough, Clarke's eyes wandered over to land their gaze on Lexa. Octavia thought she could detect a bit of longing in the blonde's gaze, like she wished she could be dancing with the brunette girl instead of the boy in front of her.

Octavia sighed, knowing she would probably regret this later, but her curiosity got the best of her. "Fine, Raven. Do it. But only one dance."

Raven grinned widely and slipped off through the crowd. Octavia watched as she disappeared before making her way over to rejoin Lincoln, who was waiting at a respectable distance with the drinks. As she accepted her drink from him, she hoped she hadn't just made a big mistake.

* * *

"Ladies and gentleman, Raven's back!" Raven called through the mic, and Clarke groaned at the sound of the other girl's voice.

"I thought I told her no spinning tonight," Clarke mumbled.

"Why?" Finn gave her a teasing smile. "Afraid she'll embarrass you in front of your friends?"

"Yes." Clarke didn't even try to deny it. She was cut off from saying anything more by the voice booming through the speakers again.

"I want to dedicate this first song to my friend Clarke and her best friend Lexa. They used to be neighbors when they were kids until Lexa moved away, and they've recently been reunited after far too long. I think they deserve a dance together. What do you guys think?" Raven asked the crowd.

The people around Clarke began to cheer, and she found herself in the middle of a spotlight. She looked over to see that Lexa was engulfed in one too. Clarke was going to _kill_ Raven. She wondered what could've possibly been going through her roommate's head that would possess her to call the two girls out tonight. Raven knew about Lexa's feelings for Clarke. The blonde seriously did not want to play with her best friend's feelings like this, so she searched frantically for a way to get out of this situation. She came up blank. Everyone was now staring at the two of them, and Clarke knew she could not just stand there, so she began to make her way over to where Lexa stood as a slow song began to play over the speakers.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," Clarke assured Lexa. "Raven's just completely insane."

Lexa extended her hand to Clarke. "It's alright. It's just one dance."

Clarke accepted the brunette's hand and allowed the other girl to pull her closer. She was glad Lexa was being so cool about all of this. Lexa's hands fell to Clarke's waist, and the blonde's went around Lexa's neck as they swayed to the music. Clarke found she liked dancing with her best friend. It felt nice to know that the awkwardness between them was gone. However, in the silence between the two of them that was invaded only by the song and the low chatter of the people around them, Clarke had time to really look at Lexa. Once she started, she found herself unable to tear her gaze away from Lexa's face, admiring just how beautiful the brunette had become in the time she was away. Lexa wasn't a child anymore; that much was obvious to Clarke. The blonde ran her eyes over Lexa's prominent cheekbones and perfectly sculpted jawline before bringing them up to meet Lexa's, and she was surprised when she found herself enthralled by the green. Those eyes were beautiful and captivating, and Clarke found that she could not look away. She stood simply staring into the other girl's eyes for a moment before she finally tore her gaze away, stepping closer to rest her head on the brunette's shoulder, needing to escape the girl's entrancing gaze. This did nothing to help, though, because while she was out from under Lexa's green spotlight, she now found that she could focus on nothing other than the fact that Lexa was pressed up against her. She could not help but marvel at the fact that Lexa's body seemed to fit perfectly against hers, and she was glad Lexa could not see her face right now because she was sure that it was as red as a tomato. Clarke could only hope that the other girl did not feel her heartbeat pounding against her chest, and she wished with all her heart for the song to be over.

Clarke wondered what the hell was happening to her. She didn't understand any of this, and why it was starting all of a sudden. When the song finally ended, Clarke tried not to pull back too fast so that Lexa wouldn't know how relieved she was to get away from her. She hoped that all the crazy stuff she had been feeling had been due to the heat of the moment, and now that the song was over, things would go back to normal. However, when she finally pulled away, she found herself caught in the brunette's green death trap again.

"Are you okay?" Lexa asked with a concerned look when Clarke didn't say anything.

"Yeah," Clarke said, recovering a bit of her composure. "Thanks for that. I'm really sorry you had to dance with me. Raven shouldn't have acted like that."

Lexa shot her a small smile. "It's fine, Clarke. It was nice."

This response made Clarke's head spin. Lexa thought it was nice because she had a crush on the blonde, but the scary thing was that Clarke thought it was nice too, and she had no idea how to explain why. She wondered what on earth was wrong with her today. Why was she feeling so crazy all of a sudden? She thought that maybe she was coming down with a fever or something. That would explain why she was suddenly feeling so hot.

"That's good. I'm glad it was okay. I should get back to Finn though," Clarke choked out.

Lexa nodded to her, and Clarke plunged back into the crowd, needing to get as far away from the brunette as she could. She hurried over to where Finn was waiting for her, hoping that dancing with him again would clear her head. She hoped that he wouldn't be able to tell how unsettled she had become, but he only smiled at her, holding out his arms to invite her back in. She easily slipped back into his arms to resume dancing. However, when she pressed herself back against him, she couldn't help but notice that his body didn't feel right against hers anymore. It didn't feel nearly as perfect as Lexa's had only seconds ago.

No matter how much she tried to deny it, she couldn't help but realize exactly what this was. Somehow, for some crazy, insane reason, she was developing feelings for Lexa. Was this how Lexa felt when she had started crushing on the blonde? Clarke couldn't even begin to fathom why she was suddenly feeling this way. Was it because she was now aware of the other girl's feelings? Was it because she wanted Lexa to be happy, and she didn't want to hurt the brunette, so her subconscious was trying to return her best friend's feelings for her? Whatever it was, Clarke wanted it to stop right now. She loved Finn, not Lexa. She was straight. It was obviously the heat from the dancing bodies all around her that made her feel so hot, and her racing heart was simply due to all the dancing she had done that night. Of course, that must be it. She was fine. However, she still couldn't help wishing, deep down, that she was still staring into those soft green eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those commenters who keep asking me to allow Lexa to kiss/date someone else, resulting in Clarke becoming jealous, I hear you. I promise I am going to incorporate that into the next chapter!


	13. Chapter 13

The sun beat down on Clarke from overhead, and she wiped away the sweat that had begun to accumulate on her brow. She looked out over the fake grass before pulling back her club and hitting the small pink ball in front of her with moderate force. It rolled across the green, stopping a few inches from the hole.

Clarke threw her head back and groaned. "So close."

Clarke and Finn were out playing putt-putt, one of their favorite pastimes. They were already on the eighth hole, and Clarke thought that maybe they could play another round after this. She hadn't talked to Lexa since the club. The way she had felt that night was weird, but she knew it was ridiculous to think that she could've possibly felt something beyond friendship for her best friend. She'd tried instead to spend a lot of time with Finn this past week, and now that it was Friday, they finally had time to hang out somewhere away from their homework. She had also been avoiding Lexa, and it still tugged at her gut when she tried to think of a reason why. If she didn't feel anything for Lexa, then why avoid her? Clarke's attention was drawn back to Finn as he hit his ball. She let out a wail of indignation when Finn's ball rolled easily into the hole.

"Yes! Hole in one!" he shouted.

"Even I have to admit that was a nice hit," Clarke said, smiling at him. "You know, when Lexa and I were younger, we used to play putt-putt a lot as well, and she used to think a hole in one was called an eagle."

Finn's mouth pulled down in the beginnings of a frown. "Okay, Clarke, we need to talk about this."

Clarke's brow furrowed in confusion. "About what?"

"Lexa. This is the third time today that you've mentioned her." Finn looked down at his watch. "And we've only been here forty minutes."

Clarke's head began to spin, but she managed to choke out an apology. "Oh. Sorry. I didn't even realize."

"I get that you're happy she's back, I understand, but you don't have to talk about her twenty-four seven. At first, you wouldn't say a word about her, and now she's all you can talk about. What's going on?"

Clarke just stared at him, surprised by her own behavior. She realized grudgingly that he was right. She had been mentioning Lexa a lot lately, and she knew she probably did it to her friends as well, and they were just kind enough not to point it out. She couldn't help it though. Everything around her reminded her of Lexa lately, more than it usually did. It was like when the brunette left all over again. Clarke had seen ghosts of Lexa everywhere, and back then, the memories had been too painful for her to think about, but now they were all she _wanted_ to think about. _Lexa_ was all she wanted to think about. She didn't even want to think about why. Clarke realized with a start that Finn was still looking at her with an expectant expression, waiting for her to answer his question.

Clarke scrambled to come up with some bullshit response. "Like you said, I guess I'm just happy she's back. I spent so long trying not to think about her, and now that I can, I guess all the memories are rushing to the surface."

"You guys were best friends. I get that, and now you're glad to have her back, but can you please try not to mention her every time you talk?" Clarke had not even realized how irritated Finn had become with her. What kind of girlfriend was she?

Clarke sighed, and she supposed she should simply be relieved that Finn bought her excuse and didn't question her further. "Right. Sorry."

After that, Finn began talking again, but Clarke tuned him out, simply nodding along despite not listening to a word that he was saying. She was too caught up in the thoughts that were racing through her own head at the moment. Ever since she'd danced with Lexa last week, she had felt different, and even worse, the brunette was all she could think about. She'd been trying her hardest to get the other girl out of her head and make things go back to normal by spending as much time as she could with her friends and Finn and completely avoiding her best friend altogether, not even bothering to answer her texts, but nothing was working. The more she avoided the brunette, the more she missed her, and the more she missed her, the more she thought about her and saw her everywhere she went. Could it actually be true? Could she possibly have developed feelings for Lexa?

* * *

While Clarke was out with Finn, Octavia was at the Woods' apartment, chilling on the couch with Lincoln. She had been hanging out with him every day this week, and she was glad that she could say that they were now officially a couple. They were watching some rom-com, but Octavia found that she was paying less attention to what was going on onscreen than she was to the man sitting next to her. He seemed to be enjoying the movie though, so she let him watch it as long as she could. Soon, she couldn't help herself, and she was leaning over to kiss his cheek.

Lincoln grinned. "I've been waiting for you to do that."

Octavia looked bewildered. "I thought you were into the movie."

"I'm just good at hiding my feelings." Lincoln turned to face her. "But I can assure you I am very into you."

She didn't let him say anymore, bringing their lips together. Octavia slid her hands under Lincoln's gray tank top, running her fingers over his toned abs. As the kiss started to become more heated, she was glad that they had the apartment to themselves…for two more minutes. They broke apart at the sound of the door opening and looked up to see Lexa walking in. However, Lexa barely even seemed to notice them, and Octavia was sure she would've walked right past them if she hadn't called out to her. "Hey, Lexa."

"Oh... hi, Octavia. Lincoln." Lexa nodded to them both, still seeming distracted before she headed into her room and closed the door. Octavia was kind of surprised to see her that way, since the brunette usually seemed so happy.

"What's going on there?" Octavia gestured to Lexa's closed door.

"It's about Clarke. Apparently Clarke's been ignoring all of her texts," Lincoln told her.

Octavia hadn't known anything was wrong with the two of them, but she realized now that she should've. Clarke seemed to talk about Lexa a lot more often, which Raven chalked up to her plan to spark some kind of feelings within Clarke being successful, but Octavia now remembered that Clarke had shot her down when she suggested they all hang out today. She said she was hanging out with Finn, which was reasonable enough, but now, paired with this new information, she realized that Clarke was avoiding her best friend. Raven was right. That dance must have sparked some kind of feelings within Clarke, and Octavia was now realizing just how wrong it had been for her to encourage Raven to do it. What had they thought would happen? That Clarke would just drop everything and be with Lexa? Clarke loved Finn, and she probably wasn't going to leave him, and now she felt like she had to avoid Lexa so that her feelings wouldn't go any further. Octavia was now realizing the gravity of what she and Raven had done, no matter its outcome. Either Clarke would break up with Finn because of it, or her relationship with her best friend would be ruined, and Octavia felt like the sudden guilt was going to swallow her whole.

"It's my fault," she finally said.

Lincoln gave her an incredulous look. "Your fault? How can it be your fault?"

"It's because of the dance. When Raven made Clarke and Lexa dance at the club. She asked if she should, and I told her to do it, and that's why Clarke's avoiding Lexa," Octavia explained.

Anger sparked up in Lincoln's eyes. "You're saying that she is mad at Lexa for it? Lexa had nothing to do with it."

"I know, that's not what I'm saying at all. The reason we had them dance together in the first place is because Clarke has feelings for Lexa, and we wanted her to realize them," Octavia said.

"Wait. What?" Lincoln all but shouted.

Octavia shushed him immediately. "Be quiet. Lexa is right there. Clarke likes Lexa. I mean, I don't know for sure, but this almost confirms it. Why else would she be avoiding her now after the dance? I know it was wrong of us to do it though. I mean, I basically ruined their friendship."

"But what if Clarke decides to be with Lexa?" Lincoln asked.

"Then, I still ruined her current relationship."

"I see." Lincoln nodded his head. "Well, even so, it's not your fault. If Clarke has the feelings, they would have come up sooner or later. You just sped up the process. In a way, that could be good though. She could've found out once she was already, say, married to Finn."

"I guess you're right. I'll talk to her about avoiding Lexa, though, when I get home," Octavia promised.

"Even if she chooses Finn, don't feel guilty. Clarke and Lexa aren't just best friends. They never have been. If they aren't lovers, they're sisters. Family either way. They won't turn their backs on each other," Lincoln assured her.

"Good," Octavia said before leaning in to kiss her boyfriend once again.

* * *

Later that evening, Clarke was sitting on her bed doing homework when Octavia and Raven walked in. Raven had been out with some of her engineering friends, and Octavia had been out with Lincoln, but Clarke figured they must've either had perfect timing or decided to hang out together afterward. Raven went over and flopped down onto her bed, not even bothering to acknowledge the blonde, but Octavia gave her a curious look.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Clarke asked when Octavia didn't say anything.

"Why are you ignoring Lexa?" Octavia asked bluntly, and Clarke had to admit that she had not been expecting that particular question.

Clarke decided that the safest thing to do was feign confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"When I was out with Lincoln today, he said that Lexa was upset because you were ignoring her texts," Octavia explained, "and she looked upset. I saw her. When she came back to the apartment, she went straight to her room and shut the door, barely even acknowledging me and Lincoln."

"I am not ignoring her. It was one text, and I was studying when she sent it. I must have forgotten to reply." Clarke shrugged.

Clarke could tell that Octavia knew she was lying. "Why don't you reply now?"

"I think she was asking if I wanted to hang out today. It's a little too late for that now. Besides, I wouldn't have been able to anyway. I was out with Finn," Clarke replied swiftly.

Octavia narrowed her eyes at her roommate. "Are you sure you're not avoiding her?"

Clarke met her eyes, not daring to look away. "Positive."

Clarke knew that Octavia didn't believe her, and why should she? It was all lies. It wasn't one text. It was an entire week's worth of texts. Clarke was just glad that Octavia was letting the topic go for the time being. She tried to turn her focus back to her homework, but she found that she could not. She wouldn't be able to keep avoiding Lexa for much longer if Lincoln was going to tell Octavia about it. This was going to be a lot harder than she had originally thought.

* * *

The next day, Lexa found herself sitting at a table in the coffee shop. She couldn't believe that Clarke was just avoiding her texts like she was without even bothering to explain to Lexa what she had done. The brunette had been hurt beyond belief this entire past week, and she had come here today with the intention of putting an end to that hurt. Lincoln had gone over to Octavia's dorm today, which meant that Clarke would most likely be doing her homework in the library. The library that was right next to the coffee shop. She had come here on a stakeout, ready to wait all day and see if the blonde came by. Before she saw any sign of Clarke though, a pretty brunette woman came over and sat across from her. She recognized her as Luna, from her chemistry class, and she was both surprised and pleased to find herself flirting with the other girl shortly after her arrival. She was so interested in what Luna was saying that she found that she was no longer looking for Clarke. This was a good thing. If Lexa could move on with Luna, then maybe Clarke would stop avoiding her. Luna was certainly pretty, and she seemed interested as well. When Luna stood up, saying that she had to go, Lexa stood up with her.

"It was really nice meeting you, Luna." She extended her hand for the other girl to shake.

Luna simply looked at her hand for a moment before leaning in to kiss her, catching Lexa completely off guard. Lexa immediately began to move her lips against the other brunette's, and she found herself enjoying it. When Luna pulled away, Lexa's lips quirked up in a smile, and Luna mirrored the expression. Luna then grabbed a napkin off the table, scribbling her number onto it and handing it to Lexa.

"Call me," she said seductively.

Then, she was gone, and Lexa suddenly noticed Clarke sitting at another table not far away. Clarke, who was staring right at her. Clarke, whose look did not mirror Lexa's, and the brunette's smile instantly fell away.

* * *

When Clarke noticed Lexa in the coffee shop as well, she almost turned around and walked right back out the door, but since she was clearly sitting with what was most likely a friend from class, Clarke decided to sit down and enjoy her coffee. The more she sat there though, the more she found herself looking over at Lexa. She didn't like the way Lexa was talking so freely to this other girl, almost as if they were flirting. That left an uneasy feeling in Clarke's stomach, even though she told herself that she didn't want to be with Lexa. The two girls stood up, and Clarke knew she should look away before Lexa saw her, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Her eyes widened in shock when the other girl pulled her best friend into a lip lock, and Lexa didn't pull away.

Clarke felt something burn in the pit of her stomach, and she knew instantly what it was, no matter how much she wished she could deny it. Jealousy. As much as she wanted to deny her feelings for Lexa, she hated the idea of the brunette being with someone other than her. Clarke honestly was more than a little hurt that Lexa could possibly be moving on from her so quickly, especially when she could not seem to shake her own feelings for the brunette. When the girl that had kissed Lexa was gone, Clarke watched as Lexa stared after her with a dopey smile on her face, and the blonde wanted nothing more than to wipe it right off. She succeeded in doing this when Lexa turned and met her eyes and noticed what must have been anger and maybe a bit of betrayal on her face. Lexa slowly made her way over to Clarke, shoving the napkin, which Clarke had watched the other girl write her number on, into her pocket. Lexa sank down into the chair across from Clarke, and the blonde couldn't help her jealousy from rearing its ugly head.

"Moving on from me so quickly?" she sneered.

Lexa either didn't notice or chose to ignore the contempt in her voice. "Maybe. I don't know."

"That's fine," Clarke snarled. "You two dykes can have each other."

Clarke immediately wished that she could suck the words back into her mouth and stop them from ever escaping again when she watched the hurt play out on Lexa's face. She had never meant to hurt her best friend. It's exactly the thing she wanted to avoid, but the words were already out, and there was a part of her that was still fueling her anger. A part of her that couldn't stop seeing her best friend kissing someone else, as she had just moments ago. It didn't help things when Lexa's hurt morphed into anger as well. "What the hell, Clarke?! I thought you'd be happy for me."

Clarke tried to defend herself. "I just don't like the thought of you being with some random girl."

Lexa narrowed her eyes, seeing right through Clarke's act. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were jealous."

This scared Clarke. She had almost forgotten that her best friend knew her better than she knew herself. Of course she'd see her jealousy, especially when Clarke was being so obvious about it. However, Clarke didn't want these feelings, so she was resolved to keep pushing them away.

"I'm not jealous. I just think we should spend some time apart. Things have just been weird since we danced at the club," Clarke stated.

"Weird how?" Lexa dared her to say more.

Clarke didn't like the way that Lexa was so blatantly challenging her like this, and she felt the nastiness bubble up again before she could stop it. "Weird as in you like me, so I don't feel comfortable dancing with you. It was too much. I don't want you touching me when you have a fucking crush on me."

Clarke almost cried after she said that one. She didn't want to be this person. The look of heartbreak on Lexa's face was almost unbearable, and Clarke wanted to break down in tears and admit that she didn't mean it, explain that what she meant was that she didn't want Lexa touching her because it drove her absolutely crazy. It wasn't Lexa's feelings that were making her lash out. It was her own. What was said had already been said though, and her pride kept her from admitting the truth.

"You were the one who wanted to dance. You seemed completely fine with it. _You_ were the one who asked _me_ if it was alright for us to dance together. I seriously can't believe you're being so awful to me. I thought you were my friend." Tears started to fall from Lexa's eyes, and Clarke wanted nothing more than to lean over the table and wipe them away.

"I am, and I'm sorry, Lexa." She tried desperately to fix things. "I... don't know why I said that."

Lexa shook her head. It was too late. "No, I get it, Clarke. It's too much for you to be around me right now. Because it's all about you, right? It doesn't matter how hard it must be for me to go through. The world revolves around you, like always. So fine, you can have your time apart. I won't bother you." Tears were streaming down Clarke's own face as Lexa stood up from the table. "Just remember who has always been there for you, no matter what."

"Lexa, wait," Clarke called after her, but Lexa was already out the door.

Clarke began to sob into her hands. A few people asked if she was okay, but she just waved them off, simply letting her tears flow. Lexa was right. When she fell and skinned her knee when they were playing basketball outside in gym class, who was there to wipe her tears and take her to the school nurse? Lexa. When her dad got into a car accident and was in a coma for two weeks, who was there for her throughout the entire ordeal? Lexa. Her best friend had been there for her during the small things, the largely traumatic things, and anything in between, and now that Lexa needed her, this was how Clarke repaid her. Lexa had been right when she said that Clarke was selfish. She had been so caught up in her struggle against her feelings for Lexa that she hadn't even considered how the brunette might be feeling even once. She had been trying to push the other girl away, but the nastiness that had settled over her when she saw Lexa with someone else only confirmed to her that she needed to either be with Lexa or put her feelings aside and be the best friend that Lexa needed. She knew what she would choose though. Finn. She had been with him for two years now, and she didn't need to throw all of that away for a silly crush. She knew she needed to apologize to Lexa for the things she had said, but she also knew Lexa probably didn't want anything to do with her at the moment. Maybe it _was_ best for them to spend some time apart. Clarke knew it would hurt, for both of them, but she knew that if they spent time together right now, they would only end up hurting each other more than remaining apart would. After what had just happened, Clarke only hoped that she was not going to lose Lexa forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope that you don't hate me (or Clarke) too much right now lol. I promise the two of them will work things out! I hope enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reading!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got a longer chapter for you guys today! I know that a lot of you have been waiting for this one to see how Clarke and Lexa's fight pans out. I hope it lives up to your expectations! Enjoy! :)

_Eight Years Earlier_

_Clarke walked down the hallway with her head held high, next to Ontari, her new friend. Ontari was the coolest girl in the fifth grade, and Clarke had been seriously surprised when she had approached her the day before, saying that she dumped her old best friend, Echo, and was looking for a new one. Clarke instantly agreed, wanting desperately to have the popularity that being Ontari's friend would give her. Honestly, she thought Ontari was pretty cool, considering she could have everyone in the fifth grade ready to do her bidding. Clarke loved the way that the people were parting for her and Ontari as they walked down the hall. However, she couldn't help but smile when she saw Lexa rushing over to her, the only person in the crowd with the nerve to approach the two girls._

_"Clarke, guess what I got on the history test!" Lexa exclaimed excitedly._

_Clarke's face instantly brightened as well. Lexa had been so upset about the history test last week, thinking that she had done poorly, but Clarke could tell by the look on her best friend's face now that the brunette had actually done quite well. Clarke was just about to respond when Ontari cut her off, "No one cares, loser."_

_Clarke looked at Ontari in shock. She knew Ontari wasn't the nicest person, and Clarke had already been mean to a few people with no problem at all, but she didn't think Ontari would make her be mean to Lexa too. The look in the other girl's eyes said otherwise._

_Clarke knew she had no choice but to comply if she wanted to keep being friends with Ontari. "Yeah, get lost, loser." Clarke winced at the hurt look that flashed over Lexa's face. Despite this, Clarke couldn't help but roll her eyes. Lexa had to know she was only saying that for Ontari's sake and that she didn't really mean it. "Don't be such a baby, Lexa. I'll see you later, and you can tell me then."_

_Ontari nodded in approval, and the two of them began to continue down the hallway, leaving Lexa behind. Clarke made the mistake of looking back, and the image of her best friend's tear-streaked face was burned into her mind for the rest of the day._

* * *

_When she got home later that afternoon, she went straight over to Lexa's house. She kind of wished she could apologize, but she knew she would just have to do the same thing she did this morning if Lexa tried to approach her again, so she settled for simply going over to spend time with the other girl while she could. When she stepped inside, she found Lexa on the couch, watching TV. Lexa glanced up at her, but she didn't get up off the couch or even look happy to see the blonde._

_"So what did you get on that history test?" Clarke asked._

_Lexa looked hesitant. "I don't know if I want to tell you anymore."_

_"Come on, Lexa, please. I'd love to know."_

_Lexa easily caved, and Clarke smiled. "Fine. I thought I failed, but I actually got—"_

_"Don't you dare tell her anything, Lexa!" Clarke spun around to see Anya standing at the bottom of the staircase._

_"What's going on?" Clarke asked in confusion._

_"I heard all about what happened at school earlier. That's what. You're Ontari's new lackey, and you were rude to my sister. You need to stop hanging out with that girl. She's just using you because she needs a new accomplice now that Echo had enough of her," Anya snapped._

_"More like Ontari had enough of Echo." Clarke defended her new friend._

_Anya just shook her head. "Is that what she told you? Clarke, I know you're our sister too, but this is not how sisters act. They don't turn on each other for popularity. So you can either stop being friends with this girl, or you can stay away from this house."_

_Clarke's jaw dropped open when she heard the threat. She couldn't believe Anya would do that to her. Why couldn't she and Lexa understand? Clarke quickly recovered her composure, squaring her shoulders. "Fine, then. I'll leave."_

_She spun around and walked out the door. Who needed them anyway when she could have everyone at the school dying to hang out with her? This time, she didn't look back._

* * *

_It had been a week. A week since she'd last talked to Lexa. She still saw her at school of course, but that was it. Their parents had found out about the situation, and Clarke's mom and dad_ _had_ _tried_ _to talk some sense into her, but she refused to listen, so she and the Woods siblings just stopped carpooling and interacting altogether, and Clarke was fine with that…for two seconds. She missed Lexa. Missed her more than anything, and she knew now that her newfound popularity was not worth losing Lexa._

_Clarke had been looking for Ontari to tell her that she was done when she found her talking to the person Clarke loved more than anything else in the world. Ontari was making fun of Lexa's glasses, which she had gotten at the start of the year. Clarke felt her blood boil when she got within hearing range. "Why would you wear glasses, nerd? You know there's such a thing as contacts. Those glasses make you look even uglier than you already are."_

_Ontari snatched the glasses right off of Lexa's nose. Lexa tried to grab them back, but Ontari just pushed her away. Clarke walked up to stand beside Ontari, and she winced when Lexa looked afraid of her. Lexa should be glad that Clarke was here to save her, not afraid that Clarke was coming to hurt her. The blonde wanted to put a stop to this once and for all._

_"Hey, give them here," Clarke said playfully, and Ontari smiled, thinking that Clarke had some kind of genius idea of what to do with them. She did not. Once she received them from Ontari, she gently slid them back on Lexa's face, and her best friend looked at her with an awe-filled expression._

_"Clarke, what are you doing?!" Ontari shrieked._

_"I'm done with this, Ontari. I quit," Clarke said._

_She turned back to Lexa and grabbed her hand. "I think you look beautiful with glasses." Clarke brought her free hand up to tap Lexa's nose, and a wide grin broke out on the brunette's face._

_"Stupid dykes," Ontari muttered before walking away._

_That was the first time Clarke had ever heard that word. She didn't even know what it meant, but with Lexa smiling at her like that, she found she didn't care._

* * *

That night, when Clarke had finally stopped crying, she went up to her dorm room, hoping to lose herself in sleep. However, the minute she walked in the door, she was cornered by Octavia.

Octavia's eyes sparked with fury. "So you finally decided to come home, huh? Lincoln got a call from Lexa while he was here, and I got the pleasure of hearing it. She was in tears, sobbing because you were awful to her at the coffee shop. You called her a dyke, Clarke?! Seriously?!"

Clarke tried to brush past her roommate. "Octavia, I'm not in the mood to do this right now."

Octavia blocked her path. "Oh, we're doing it right now. Can't you see how selfish you're being?! You can't just treat people you love like crap and expect them to be fine with it!"

"Fine. Yes, I called her a dyke, but it's because she was kissing another girl, like I meant nothing to her anymore." Clarke tried to defend herself.

Octavia wasn't having it. "Why the hell do you care? Wouldn't it be a good thing for her to get over you?"

"Yes, it would be good, but I'm just jealous that she's able to get over me so quickly when I can't get over her!" Clarke's eyes widened when she realized what she had just said, but Octavia was already on it.

"And there it is. You like her. You can't stand the sight of her being with someone else because you like her," Octavia stated evenly.

Clarke hung her head. "Yes. And I understand that what I did was wrong. I just couldn't help it. I do have feelings for Lexa, but I love Finn, and I'm not breaking up with him. I'm just going to apologize to Lexa and be the best friend that she needs. I'm sure this dumb crush will go away on its own."

"You better have a damn good apology, because you're going to need one after what you said to the poor girl. If it were me, I would never talk to you again."

Clarke looked up at Octavia with eyes that were starting to fill with tears again. What if Lexa didn't want to be friends anymore? Would Clarke really be able to live with the knowledge that Lexa would never talk to her again, and it was all her fault?

Octavia seemed to notice Clarke's face because she was quick to try to reassure her friend. "But you two are different. You're family, and even if it takes a while to get over this, well, Lincoln said that Lexa would never turn her back on you."

Clarke swallowed thickly and nodded. Octavia seemed to have nothing else to say, because she stepped aside, allowing Clarke to make her way to her bed. She would try to apologize to Lexa tomorrow, and hopefully Lexa would understand, and things could go back to normal. Clarke could only hope that Lincoln was right.

* * *

The next day, Clarke was sitting at a picnic table outside the library, waiting for Lexa to show up. Octavia had talked Lincoln into giving Clarke the chance to apologize, so he called Clarke a half hour ago, saying that Lexa had left the apartment and should be at the library in twenty minutes. It was ten minutes past that now, and Clarke was about ready to give up, thinking that Lexa wasn't going to show up after all, when she spotted the brunette walking towards the library. However, she wasn't alone. She was holding hands with that brunette girl Clarke had seen her kiss the other day. Clarke wanted to turn around and run in the opposite direction, but instead, she steeled herself, walking up to Lexa anyway.

"Hey, Lexa. Can I talk with you for a minute?" Clarke asked when Lexa was within hearing range.

Lexa looked hesitant, but she nodded. "Could you give us a second, Luna?"

"Yeah, of course," Luna said, before politely stepping out of hearing range.

"What do you want Clarke?" Lexa was angry, and Clarke knew she had a right to be.

"I wanted to say that I'm sorry, Lexa. I didn't mean anything I said yesterday. I only said it because—"

_I was jealous. I have feelings for you. I'm really frustrated that I can't seem to escape them. I don't really want you to get over me at all._ Clarke knew she couldn't say any of these things. She didn't want to give Lexa hope by telling her she had feelings for her when she didn't intend to act on them, so she simply kept her mouth shut.

"Because what?" Lexa prompted. "I'm waiting."

"Because nothing. I don't know."

Lexa scoffed. "Whatever, Clarke. I'll accept your half-assed apology because I'm a nice person, but I don't want to be friends with you anymore. Just stay the fuck away from me."

Lexa beckoned to Luna to join her, and Clarke wanted to go after her, but she stayed where she was, knowing that Lexa had every right to say what she did after the way that Clarke had treated her. Instead, she simply stared after her best friend as she walked away with her new possible girlfriend.

* * *

Clarke didn't remember much from her walk back to her dorm building. She had felt numb the whole way back. She still felt numb when she pushed the door open. The moment she saw Octavia and Raven turn to her with expectant looks, she burst into tears. Octavia was by her side in an instant, pulling Clarke into her arms as the blonde cried into her shoulder. "I take it the apology didn't go well."

"No." Clarke shook her head.

"What did she say?" Raven asked curiously, wrapping her arms around the blonde as well.

"She told me to stay the fuck away from her," Clarke sobbed. "She's never going to talk to me again."

"Well, what did you say?" Octavia asked.

"I told her I was sorry, that I didn't mean anything I said, but I couldn't tell her why I said it. I didn't want to give her hope that she could have a future with me, so I bet she thinks I was just being cruel for the heck of it. She probably thinks I hate her. She probably hates me," Clarke rambled through her sobs.

Octavia shushed Clarke gently. "Listen, Clarke, I get that you're upset right now, but there's nothing else you can really do about it. You apologized, and if she doesn't want to be around you anymore, then that's perfectly acceptable given the circumstances. You made your choice, and you messed up. Now, you have to live with the consequences of that decision. If she doesn't want to be friends with you anymore, then I'm really sorry about that, but you need to respect her wishes and leave her alone."

Clarke nodded into Octavia's chest, knowing that the brunette girl was right. She shouldn't have done what she did, but now that she had, she couldn't force Lexa to be around her anymore. If Lexa hated her, then she needed to respect the brunette's wishes and stay away for as long as Lexa needed to truly forgive her. Clarke only hoped that was not forever.

* * *

Lexa moved her lips hungrily against Luna's as she sat on her lap at the desk chair. She had been hanging out at Luna's dorm, and when Luna's roommate had gone out, they immediately fell into a make out session. They had been hanging out for two weeks now, and Lexa honestly didn't know what they were. They held hands a lot around school, and they made out pretty much any chance they could get, but they weren't dating. At least, Lexa didn't think they were. They had never talked about making it official, and Lexa wondered if there was something holding Luna back as well. She got the answer to that question in the form of Luna beginning to pull up her shirt. Lexa and Luna had made out multiple times, but Luna had never tried to take it any further. If there had been anything holding Luna back, it was clearly gone now. Time seemed to slow down in that moment. Lexa could either raise her hands up and allow Luna to take the shirt off completely, or she could pull back and stop this before it even started. She thought about doing it for a moment. It would be so easy just to give herself to Luna and allow the brunette to pleasure her as no one ever had before, but she knew she couldn't. Even though she knew she had no chance with Clarke, and even though she was still angry with the aforementioned girl at the moment, she couldn't help the fact that she wanted her first time to be with the blonde.

She pulled out of the kiss before Luna could take things that extra step. "I'm sorry, Lu. I can't."

Luna gave her a knowing look. "You've never done this before, have you?"

Lexa bit her lip, and she shook her head no.

"That's not all that's holding you back," Luna realized. "There's someone else, isn't there?"

Lexa wondered how it was that Luna knew, but she swallowed her surprise and nodded. "Yes. Someone very special, but she's not interested."

"It's the blonde, isn't it? The one who came to talk to you outside the library."

Lexa slowly nodded.

"Is she straight?" Luna asked sympathetically.

Lexa nodded miserably. "She is, so I don't know why I still feel like I need to save myself for her, but I do. It's absolutely insane because she'll never want me, and I can't go through the rest of my life alone, but it just doesn't feel right if it's not her."

"How long ago did you find out that she was straight?" Luna asked.

Lexa blushed when she realized just how long it had actually been. It felt like only yesterday. "About a month ago, and I haven't really seen her much since. She said some really cruel and hurtful things to me a couple weeks ago, and even though part of me never wants to see her again, I still really miss her."

"Listen, even if you remain friends with this girl, you will move on eventually. A month isn't long enough, but given more time, you will get used to the fact that she is off limits, and you'll finally be able to open yourself up to someone else." Luna pushed a lock of Lexa's hair behind her ear. "And when that day comes, feel free to call me."

"Thank you, Luna. For being so understanding. I should probably go now though." Lexa stood from the chair, grabbing her things, and Luna nodded. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry. It happens to all of us." Luna winked when she said that last part. Lexa waited to see if Luna would elaborate, but she didn't, so Lexa just nodded and made her way out the door. She huffed as she walked down the hall, wishing with all her heart that she could just get over Clarke.

* * *

Clarke walked along the sidewalk, hoping the rush of the cars on the busy streets would distract her from thinking about what was missing. She hadn't talked to Lexa in two weeks. She hadn't even seen her. Octavia and Raven kept giving Clarke wary looks, as if they was afraid the blonde would break at any moment, but they never brought Lexa up again after that night Clarke broke down in front of them, and for that, the blond girl was glad. She didn't want to talk about Lexa. She thought about her quite enough as it was.

Even now, as she walked back to her dorm building, she saw Lexa everywhere she looked. She saw a car go by, and she could've sworn that was her and Lexa in the backseat. She walked under the light from a streetlamp, and she and Lexa ran by, trick-or-treating as Princess Clarke and Commander Lexa for the sixth year in a row. She looked over at the bushes outside of a flower shop, and there she and Lexa were, pulling off the leaves and bringing them up to the house to make a delicious salad. Everywhere she turned, she saw ghosts of her and Lexa, and she knew she either needed to call Lexa up and try to apologize again, this time telling her everything, or come up with a better distraction. She decided on the latter, pulling out her phone and dialing Finn's number instead of Lexa's.

"Hey, Clarke. What's up?" he answered right away.

"I'm a little bored, and I was wondering if you were up for a date night." Clarke tried to sound nonchalant.

"I'm always up for a date night," he replied.

Clarke was glad he was so easygoing. "Great. I'll see you soon."

* * *

Clarke's head curled into Finn's neck as they swayed to the music in the living room of his apartment. She tried to lose herself in his warmth, but she still couldn't help feeling that his body didn't fit with hers the way Lexa's did. She knew deep down that she and Finn may never fit perfectly together again.

"This is nice," Finn murmured, kissing her cheek.

"Mhmm," Clarke hummed.

"You're awfully quiet tonight," he remarked. "Is something bothering you?"

"Not really. I've just got a lot on my mind, that's all," Clarke lied.

"Do you wanna watch a movie or something to take your mind off it?" Finn suggested.

Clarke smiled and nodded her head. She reminded herself that this was why Finn was perfect for her. He always knew the right things to say or do to make her feel better. He switched off the lamp and grabbed the TV remote before settling next to Clarke on the couch. Clarke cuddled into his side as he flipped the TV on, filling the room with the soft glow from the television. He went to the on demand list and scrolled through the list of movies, searching for something to watch.

"Oooh, they have _Annie_ ," Clarke squealed.

"You want to watch _Annie_?" Finn asked skeptically.

"It would bring back so many memories." Clarke's eyes glowed with happiness. "I used to watch it all the time as a kid. Lexa and I loved it."

Finn clenched his jaw and sat there for a moment, looking like he was deciding on whether or not he wanted to say something, before he exited the on demand list and turned to Clarke with a serious look on his face. "Clarke, I don't think this is going to work out."

Clarke tried to keep her jaw from dropping open in shock as she tried to make sense of what was happening. "Wait. Are you breaking up with me?"

Finn looked hesitant for a moment and a bit regretful, but he nodded anyway.

"Why?" Clarke could already feel the tears welling up in her eyes. "Don't you love me?"

Finn sighed. "I do, Clarke, and that's why I'm doing this. I don't want to always come second to someone else, but I also don't want you to have to settle for second best."

"What are you talking about? I _love_ _you_ , Finn," Clarke insisted.

"That may be true," Finn agreed, "but you love Lexa more."

Clarke backed away a bit. That wasn't true. She didn't love Lexa. She couldn't love Lexa. "Finn, I am _not_ in love with Lexa."

"But you are. I've seen the way you look at her. Like she hung the moon, the stars, the entire universe." Finn paused before adding, "Your entire universe. You've never looked at me that way."

"Finn, stop saying things like that. Lexa and I are just friends. You can't just break up with me."

"I'm not. I'm setting you free. You deserve to be with someone who can make you completely happy. Lexa is that person." He shook his head. "I don't want to hold you back anymore."

"Finn, please," Clarke said, tears falling from her eyes, "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't. We can still be friends. But you know I'm right. You want to be with Lexa. Stop being so stubborn and just go be with her."

Clarke nodded through her tears, numbly making her way out of the apartment, knowing there was nothing else she could really do when Finn was so adamant about this. The minute she was out in the hall, she collapsed to the floor, sobbing brokenheartedly. She knew Finn was right. She was in love with Lexa. She didn't want to be, but she was. It finally occurred to her how stupid she had been all this time, trying to cling to Finn when she knew in her heart what she wanted. She just didn't want to hurt him, didn't want to make him feel like she had just strung him along when she was really in love with Lexa the whole time. She realized now just how greatly she had fucked up. She knew she needed to do what Finn said and go tell Lexa how she felt, but what Finn didn't know was that Lexa may not even want to see her right now. How could Lexa ever want to be with her after the horrible things she had said? She had pushed Lexa away, and now the brunette probably hated her. But she knew she needed to stop being stubborn and give Lexa a chance. More than that, she almost wanted to.

* * *

Lexa heard a knock on the door and rolled her eyes, setting her book down on the coffee table before going to answer it. She expected to open the door to find a drunk Anya. What she found instead was something she was not at all prepared for. It was Clarke. The blonde's eyes looked red like she had been crying. Lexa was a little wary, wondering what the blonde could possibly want from her. She thought she had been quite clear when she told Clarke to stay away from her.

"Clarke, what are you doing here?" Lexa looked down at her watch before glaring up at the blonde. "It's midnight."

"You're wearing your glasses," Clarke noticed. "I haven't seen you wear them since before you left."

"Yes, I am wearing my glasses, Clarke, but I know you well enough to know when you are deflecting. I know you came here for a reason, so will you please tell me what it is?" Lexa asked, unable to keep the annoyance out of her voice. That was, until the other girl sniffled, seemingly at a loss for words, and Lexa softened as tears formed in the blonde's eyes. "Clarke, what's wrong?"

"Finn broke up with me," Clarke said through a sob.

Lexa didn't even think as she pulled Clarke inside, closing the door and pulling Clarke into her arms. Lexa rubbed up and down her back before moving them to sit on the couch so they could be more comfortable. Clarke cried against Lexa's chest, and Lexa ran her fingers soothingly through Clarke's soft blond hair. She didn't know what she was doing. It felt like she had gone on autopilot the minute the first tear had fallen from her best friend's eye. The brunette knew she shouldn't be doing this. She shouldn't be there for Clarke after the way the blonde had treated her two weeks ago. She shouldn't ever be there for Clarke again when the blonde was never there for her. At the first sign of Lexa being troubled, Clarke was allowed to treat her cruelly and walk away, and Lexa knew that she should have just turned the blonde away at the door. However, she knew she couldn't leave Clarke. Not like this. She knew deep down that she would always be there for Clarke when she needed her, whether they were on good terms or bad terms at the moment. She sort of hated it, but that was just who she was. So she simply sat and held her best friend while she cried.

Clarke pulled back to look Lexa in the eye, and she began to cry even harder, bringing her hands up to cup Lexa's cheeks. Lexa had the sudden urge to swat her away and tell her to get out, but she knew she would never be able to go through with it, so she simply sat there, allowing the blond girl to caress her face. "I'm s-so sorry, Lexa. I should n-never have tr-treated you the way I did. I'm so sorry f-for the things I said, and I s-s-still can't even be-believe I called you a—a dyke." Clarke hiccuped. "I never meant to hurt you, Lexa. I promise I would never ever want to hurt you."

Lexa looked at Clarke in awe. She was crying harder now than she had been crying over Finn breaking up with her just a moment ago, and Lexa couldn't help the swell of hope that bloomed in her chest at the knowledge of what that might mean. That she was more important to the blonde than Finn was. "It's okay, Clarke. I'm okay." Lexa didn't know if it was really okay, but she knew that she felt like it was at that moment.

Clarke was already shaking her head the moment Lexa said it. "No, it's not. I don't deserve you, Lexa. I will never deserve you."

"No, you won't," Lexa said, not really sure if she meant that. She always used to think she would never deserve the blonde. "But you're stuck with me."

Clarke simply continued to cry, a silent thank you hanging in the air, as she clung tightly to Lexa. She buried her face back into the crook of the brunette's neck as her sobs finally began to slow.

"Do you want to talk about what happened with Finn?" Lexa asked once Clarke had calmed down a bit. Clarke nodded against her, and Lexa waited for her to say something. When the blond remained silent, Lexa decided to prompt her with a question. "So why did Finn break up with you?"

Clarke turned up to look at Lexa with a very peculiar look in her blue eyes, a look Lexa could not quite place, and before she knew it, Clarke was taking off Lexa's glasses, setting them down on the couch beside her, and then the blonde's lips were slamming into hers. Lexa moved her lips against her best friend's for a moment in silent shock, a tear streaking down her face as she realized what was happening. Clarke might have feelings for her too. Lexa hadn't thought this was even possible after everything that had happened, and she found herself caught up in this one blissful moment where it was. Before long though, she came to her senses and pulled away. "What are you doing?"

"That's why Finn broke up with me. Because I love you. I'm in love with you, Lexa, and he knew. When I danced with you at the club, I felt something. You fit more perfectly against me than anyone ever has, and I loved it. It scared me at first. I didn't want to have these feelings, and that's why I avoided you, but it didn't work. The more time I spent without you, the more I saw you everywhere in every little thing. When I hung out with Finn, I talked about you nonstop, and that's how he knew. He didn't want to hold me back anymore, and he broke up with me because he knew I was in love with you," Clarke admitted.

"For real?" Lexa asked, hope shining in her eyes. She knew it was the dumbest thing she could've said at that moment, but it was out before she could stop it, and she was surprised to find she didn't even care.

Clarke simply nodded, not breaking her gaze.

"Clarke, I'm in love with you too, but I want you to know that this isn't new to me. I think I've always been in love with you. You know how my favorite color's blue? It's because that's the color of your eyes."

"Oh, Lexa. I've always been in love with you too. Since the very beginning. Maybe even since the very first day. You want to know how I know?" Clarke asked.

Lexa stared at her with a wonder-filled gaze, too shocked and in awe to answer. Clarke took this as a sign that she should continue.

"The princess commander stories. Princess Clarke is in love with Prince Zander. Xander. Alexandria."

Lexa's eyes widened in shock. It all made sense now. Clarke had subconsciously loved Lexa all along in much the same way that she had loved the blonde, and she didn't think she had ever been as in love with the other girl as she was in that moment. Instead of responding, she opted instead to capture Clarke's lips again. This kiss was different than the other one. The first kiss had been desperate and needy, but this kiss was passionate and loving. This kiss felt like home. Lexa melted against Clarke, pouring all of her pent-up emotions into the kiss. She sucked hard on Clarke's upper lip, and she felt the blonde bite down gently on her bottom lip, teasing the flesh with her teeth. When they finally pulled away to catch their breath, Lexa reached over to grab her glasses so that she could see the blonde more clearly, but Clarke beat her there, grabbing her glasses for her and putting them back on her face before kissing the tip of her nose.

"Did I ever tell you that you look beautiful in glasses?" Clarke asked.

Lexa smiled wider than she ever had before. "A long time ago."

Clarke laughed, and then she brought her head back down to settle against Lexa's chest, seemingly content to lie there and listen to the beat of the brunette's heart.

"Can I stay here tonight?" Clarke mumbled tiredly.

"Of course, Clarke," Lexa murmured into the girl's blond hair. "Anytime."


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you are all having a good weekend! Enjoy!

Clarke woke up to find herself wrapped safely in Lexa's arms, all cuddled into her best friend. She snuggled further into her as the memories from last night replayed in her head. She loved Lexa. Lexa loved her. And it was a good thing. Clarke felt so very good in this moment that she began to wonder why the hell she had ever tried to fight her feelings in the first place. After a few minutes of simply lying there, she rolled off of Lexa, figuring that she should probably get up. Lexa rolled with her, however, wrapping her arms around the blonde's shoulders and burying her face into Clarke's neck. Clarke simply smiled down at the other girl, realizing how cute it was when Lexa did this, even if it could get annoying sometimes. Clarke's love for the girl cuddled into her was so great that she seriously didn't know how she had ever thought she could truly be happy with anyone else. She was just glad that she had finally figured things out and that Lexa had seemingly forgiven her for the huge mistake she had made. Since Lexa did not seem to want to let Clarke go anytime soon, the blonde began to press gentle kisses to the girl's forehead until her green eyes blinked open. She pulled back enough to see Clarke, smiling brightly once she could, and pressed a sweet kiss to Clarke's lips. Clarke didn't think she'd ever tire of the feeling. "Good morning, beautiful."

"Morning, Clarkey. I see last night wasn't a dream," Lexa murmured.

"No, it was not." Clarke pushed some of Lexa's hair behind her ear.

"So are we official now, or what?" Lexa asked a bit shyly.

Clarke smiled. "I'd love to be your girlfriend, Lexie, but only if you'll have me as yours." Her smile faded. "I was awful to you. You really shouldn't forgive me this easily."

"Clarke, I love you, and I'm willing to give you another chance. Your boyfriend just broke up with you. I wasn't going to turn you away. Besides, I want to be with you. I really, really want to be your girlfriend," Lexa said earnestly.

Clarke's smile returned in full force. "Then, girlfriends we shall be. I don't want to tell Raven and Octavia yet though. I mean, we'll have to tell them eventually, but they will go crazy when they find out, and I'd rather keep it from them until I'm ready."

"Of course. Let's keep it from Linc and An for a bit as well. At least until we go on our first date. I want to make sure we work out before we tell anyone, you know?"

"Of course. I love that idea."

Clarke was relieved that Lexa had the same idea that she did regarding their relationship, because that's really what it boiled down to. She knew that Raven and Octavia would be ecstatic to see her get with Lexa, and she knew that Lexa's siblings would as well, so she didn't want to disappoint them. She didn't think that she and Lexa would have any problem being together, but just in case they didn't work out, she didn't want to get everyone else all excited for no reason at all. She figured Lexa was right about telling her siblings after their first date. The three of them were so close, and Clarke knew that Lexa didn't like keeping things from them, so Clarke was surprised that Lexa had even suggested this at all, even though she understood the reasoning. This just made Clarke think about their first date though and where they would go. She worried a bit about it because she wanted it to go off without a hitch. However, she was honestly more excited about just the thought of going out on a date with Lexa. It was a strange feeling, but she knew that she would soon get used to it.

"So when are we going on this date?" Clarke asked.

"I have a project due Wednesday, so sometime after Tuesday night?" Lexa suggested.

"I have biology lecture on Wednesday night," Clarke reminded her brand new girlfriend, "so how about Thursday night?"

Lexa pressed a kiss to Clarke's cheek. "That sounds perfect."

"Where are we going?" Clarke asked.

"You leave that to me. I'll pick you up at five." Lexa winked at her.

Clarke nodded. That would be perfect, because her last class of the day ended at 4:00, which would leave her an hour to get ready, and she knew that Lexa was done even earlier than that. It was even more perfect, too, because Raven and Octavia would still be in class at that time. "Sounds great."

After that, the two of them just laid together in silence, and Clarke reveled in how great it felt that she could now call Lexa her girlfriend. She would miss being with Finn, the familiarity of it, but she knew that being with Lexa would be even better because there was no longer a doubt in her mind that the brunette was who she was supposed to be with. She thought that Lexa was just in the process of dozing off again, and Clarke had busied herself by lazily playing with the brunette's hair, when Anya burst right into Lexa's room, clearly not expecting anyone but the brunette to be occupying it. "What the hell is she doing here?"

Lexa raised her head blearily from its place against Clarke's chest, looking up at her sister. "She's fine, Anya. She came here in tears last night and apologized, and I have chosen to forgive her."

Anya scowled at her sister. "You'd choose to forgive anyone, Lexa. Especially her. You always have been too forgiving when it came to her."

Clarke swallowed thickly. The older girl was angry, and she had every right to be. Clarke thought that now that Lexa had forgiven her, everything would be okay. It had never even crossed her mind that Lexa's siblings, namely Anya, wouldn't let her off the hook that easily.

"I really am sorry, Anya. I didn't mean a single word I said, and you have to know that. I was just…jealous I guess." Clarke was finding it hard to skirt around her situation with Lexa, and she hoped she hadn't said too much. Lexa didn't seem to react to it, so she went on. "We're family though, Anya, and I'm sorry I've been bad at it lately, but I am done acting like a selfish bitch, I promise."

Anya narrowed her eyes, but her tone softened a bit. "You better be."

"Just let her be, An. Finn broke up with her last night," Lexa revealed.

Clarke stiffened a bit, not sure that she had been ready to share that information with the rest of the family yet, but she knew she couldn't be mad at Lexa for it. Besides, this seemed to make Anya a lot less mad. She wandered over to sit on the edge of the bed, holding her arms out to Clarke, and the blonde instantly fell into the hug.

"I'm sorry, Munchkin. I had no idea." Anya rubbed her back soothingly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm a lot better now. Lexa was so good to me last night," Clarke explained. "She should've turned me away at the door, but she didn't."

"My sister has always been a big softie. That's why I wanted to make sure you actually meant your apology."

"Of course I did. I love you guys."

"And we love you. Now, for the real reason I came in here," Anya announced, "Lincoln's making pancakes, and they're probably almost done by now. Who's hungry?"

Clarke and Lexa were out of that bed in an instant, and Clarke didn't miss the way that Anya shook her head at the two of them. Clarke didn't care though. She remembered Lincoln's pancakes from when they were younger, and if he still made them anything like he used to, she did not want to miss it.

* * *

When Clarke finally stumbled into her dorm room that afternoon, she was not surprised to find Octavia and Raven already there. The three of them usually used Sundays as their day to catch up on homework, since Fridays and Saturdays were usually hangout or club days. Today, though, Clarke wished that they weren't there, because she wasn't sure how much of the previous day's events she wanted to tell them.

"So, Clarke, were you and Finn up all night doing the do?" Raven asked with a mischievous smirk.

"No. Finn broke up with me last night," Clarke found herself saying.

"What? No! I'm so sorry, Clarke. But if you weren't out with Finn, then where did you sleep last night?" Octavia asked curiously.

"I slept with Lexa," Clarke told them.

"What?" Octavia and Raven shouted simultaneously, and Clarke realized the implication of what she had just said.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it. I went to Lexa's apartment and slept there. We were both fully clothed." Clarke couldn't help the blush from rising to her cheeks.

"Did you guys cuddle?" Raven asked teasingly.

Clarke rolled her eyes. "We always cuddle."

"What made you go there? I'm surprised she even let you in the door," Octavia said, causing the blonde to wince.

Clarke sighed. "I went there because she's my best friend, and I didn't want to ruin my relationship with my best friend when I had already ruined my relationship with my boyfriend. I needed to apologize, and I'm really glad she let me in because there was really no one else who could've comforted me after that. I needed _her_ , so I'm glad she gave me another chance."

"What did you do to mess up your relationship with Finn?" Raven asked.

Clarke simply glared at her, not wanting to answer that question for obvious reasons, and thankfully, she seemed to get the message, as she let the topic go.

"So, what do you want to do? Watch some movies and eat some ice cream?" Octavia asked sympathetically.

"That sounds nice," Clarke said.

As she settled onto the bed to watch TV, she was grateful for this out Octavia had provided her as a way to keep from telling them anything more about what had happened. She knew that she couldn't avoid them forever and would have to make up some reason as to why why Finn had broken up with her until she was ready to tell them the real one, but for now, she was glad to just relax after the stressful events of the previous day.

* * *

Clarke looked into her full-length mirror for what felt like the millionth time in ten minutes. She was ready for her date with Lexa, but she didn't feel ready. She felt like there was something off about her appearance, even though she knew she was only being paranoid. She just really wanted this night to be perfect. It was in that moment that she wished she had told Raven and Octavia everything, because she really needed someone to talk to about it. She wished she could at least talk to Anya or Lincoln or _someone_. She wished there was someone else who knew about their relationship other than Lexa. Well, there was one person, but she was hesitant to call him. She knew he would answer right away and be extremely supportive and say all the right things, but she didn't think it would be fair to him to talk about this. However, she was all out of options. It was either go out on her date as a nervous wreck or cave in and call Finn. She caved. She was relieved when he picked up after the first two rings. "Clarke? Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine. Well, I'm kind of freaking out, but it's nothing major," Clarke told him.

"Did you actually tell Lexa what you needed to?" he asked.

"Yes, and she's my girlfriend now. That's actually what I called to talk to you about. Tonight is my first date with her, and I'm afraid I'm going to mess it up."

"Relax, Clarke. You'll do just fine. This is your best friend. Just act like you normally would around her. You don't have to get all worked up just because you're dating now."

"You're right…but what if I chose the wrong outfit? She said to dress nicely, but what if she doesn't like it?" Clarke fretted.

She relaxed a little when she heard him laugh through the phone. "I'm sure she'll like whatever you're wearing since she likes you. What did you decide to go with?"

Clarke looked at herself in the mirror. "My blue dress, because blue is her favorite color, and my silver flats. My hair's in a bun."

"Perfect choice of dress. That's a nice one. But I'd go with your black heels rather than the flats. I always thought those went better with it," Finn advised her.

"Okay. I'll change them."

Clarke grabbed her heels, slipping them on before proceeding to look in the mirror again, smoothing down her dress. Finn was right. The heels definitely worked better with the dress. She was about to tell him so and thank him when her phone vibrated. She looked down at the screen to see that it was a text from Lexa. She was here.

"Lexa's here to pick me up. I've got to go," Clarke said into the phone.

"Okay, Clarke. Just remember what I said. You're just hanging out with your best friend. Relax, and have fun," he told her.

"Thanks, Finn," she said.

Once she hung up the phone, she chanced one more look in the mirror before finally walking out the door. She took a deep breath as she walked down the stairs. Finn was right. She was just going out with her best friend. It was no big deal.

* * *

Lexa parked her motorcycle in front of Clarke's dorm building, shooting Clarke a quick text to let the blonde know she was there. She waited for the other girl to come down, trying to quell her rising nerves. Tonight was her first date with Clarke, and she hoped that it would go perfectly. She tried to tell herself that she shouldn't be nervous. She had known Clarke since she was five. There was no reason for her to freak out. But she and Clarke were older now, and dating, and Lexa knew it was going to be different. She couldn't believe she was actually dating Clarke. It felt like a dream, after everything that had happened between the two of them. Still, they were in fact going out tonight. Clarke was Lexa's girlfriend, an unbelievable thought in and of itself, and Lexa felt like she was going to explode if she had to wait another moment for Clarke to come outside. When she saw Clarke push her way out the front doors of the building, Lexa had to make a conscious effort not to let her jaw drop. Clarke was wearing a royal blue strapless dress, and her blond hair was twisted into an elegant bun. The brunette couldn't help but notice the nice heels that the blonde was wearing as well. All Lexa could do was stare as Clarke made her way over to where Lexa was standing beside her bike.

"Hey, you," Clarke said, placing a gentle kiss on Lexa's cheek.

"Hello, Clarke, you look stunning," Lexa greeted.

"I could say the same about you." Clarke winked, and Lexa couldn't help the blush that spread across her cheeks. Lexa was wearing a deep red blouse with ruffles down the middle and a pair of black slacks. Her hair was curled to perfection, but she still didn't think she looked half as good as Clarke. Finally coming out of her daze, she held out a helmet to the blonde before realizing that wearing a helmet would ruin the other girl's hair.

"Sorry. Maybe you shouldn't wear a helmet tonight. It'll mess up your hair." Lexa retracted the offered arm.

"Yeah. I guess not. I forgot you rode a motorcycle," the blonde admitted with a laugh.

"I would've brought Anya's car if I'd have known you were going to wear your hair so beautifully," Lexa said, to which Clarke blushed.

Lexa climbed onto the bike, revving it up. When she did not feel Clarke get on behind her, she looked back and saw that the blonde had not moved from the position she had been standing in. Lexa instantly realized what this was about. Clarke was hesitant to ride the bike without a helmet. Lexa gestured for the blonde to get on behind her, promising, "I'll drive slow."

Clarke obliged, climbing onto the back of the vehicle and wrapping her arms around Lexa's waist. "Are you going to tell me where we're going?" Lexa smiled when she felt Clarke's head come to rest against her back.

Lexa shook her head in answer to Clarke's question. "It's a surprise."

As she took off down the street, heading to the destination she knew Clarke would love, she smiled to herself at the comforting feeling of Clarke's arms around her waist and Clarke's weight pressed against her back. It felt so good to have Clarke back against her again after so long apart. She didn't ever want to be without her best friend—no, her _girlfriend_ —ever again.

* * *

"The art museum?!" Clarke exclaimed as they reached their location. "We're going to the art museum?!"

Lexa nodded, and Clarke cheered with childlike excitement. A corner of the brunette's lips turned up at the happiness she was able to bring her girlfriend. Clarke's eyes were shining with glee as she took Lexa's hand and began to pull her towards the entrance.

"We used to go here a lot when we were kids," Clarke commented.

Lexa nodded. "I can see you still love it just as much, if not more." She was glad that she had thought to take Clarke here tonight. She really hadn't been sure if the blonde would still want to go, since she had never moved away from it, but Lexa remembered how many times they had gone as kids, and she knew that it would be the perfect place for their first date.

"Of course I do," Clarke said, as if the answer should be obvious, before adding, "I hope you don't mind going again."

"Clarke, I am fine with going again. I know Anya and Lincoln got bored with going after a while, but I went with you every time, and I will continue to do so." Lexa smiled at the thought.

Clarke's face fell a little. "Finn took me here once, but I could tell he wasn't into it. He didn't want to listen to me talk about the paintings the way you used to. You were always a better listener than him."

"I had to be. I was your best friend," Lexa joked before adding on a more serious note, "Really, though, I never minded. I always thought it was cute."

Lexa watched as Clarke's cheeks turned pink, but before she could reply, they reached the front of the line to buy their tickets. Lexa purchased a ticket for each of them and followed Clarke into the huge building. Clarke instantly pulled her toward the paintings section, and they walked around, admiring each of the color-filled canvases. Clarke talked about the things she liked or disliked about each, told Lexa about the painting techniques that were used, and talked about the artists as well if she was familiar with them. Lexa loved listening to the melodic sound of Clarke's voice as she talked enthusiastically about the bursts of color that adorned the walls in front of them. Lexa admired each painting along with Clarke, appreciating them all the more as Clarke pointed out the different aspects of them. She didn't even mind when Clarke wanted to stop and stare at a painting in silence for several minutes. She was content just watching the blonde be around something that she was so passionate about. Lexa knew she would have been bored within seconds had she been here with anyone else, but seeing the art with Clarke brought a whole new life to it all that Lexa would've never noticed before. She found that she could never be bored when she was in the other girl's company.

After a while of walking around admiring each and every painting on the walls, they passed a painting that caught Lexa's eye. It must have been relatively new, because she didn't remember it being there during their many visits as kids. It was a painting of a young blond girl sitting underneath a tree, a bouquet of white flowers in her hands. A young brunette sat beside her, her long hair in braids, and they were seemingly conversing about something. The two young girls in the painting easily morphed into a younger version of Clarke and Lexa in the brunette's mind, and Lexa could easily believe that it _was_ them, that the artist had painted a scene right out of their childhood.

Lexa pulled Clarke to a stop beside the painting. "I like this one. It looks like us as kids."

"It does." Clarke stopped to study the painting as well. Lexa couldn't help but notice the awe that was written on her face, the same as when she first looked at all the other paintings she liked, but soon this awe was replaced by the beginnings of a smirk. "Except we would've been violating each other's personal space a lot more."

Lexa burst out laughing, not expecting that response, but she knew that it was true. Suddenly, the people in the painting morphed back into nameless children, because Lexa knew as well as Clarke did that had it been them, they would have been holding hands or lying in each other's laps or leaning against each other in some way. "It's as if we didn't know the meaning of personal space at all."

"And it seems as if we'll never learn it," Clarke smiled, leaning her head onto Lexa's shoulder and wrapping both hands around her arm. Lexa smiled down at her, allowing the contact as they continued on through the museum.

After they had looked at every single painting twice, Lexa was more than happy to go around for a third time. She seriously didn't think she would ever tire of walking around there with the blonde. The way that Clarke was holding her hand was making her heart soar because this time, Clarke wasn't just holding her hand because they were best friends, Clarke was holding her hand because she loved her, a thought that was almost too good for Lexa to believe. Lexa loved the way Clarke's eyes sparked with excitement when she saw a piece she loved, and the way her lips quirked up in a smile when she saw a painting that sparked a particular memory in her. Lexa also loved the way that Clarke somehow found new things to say about each one of the paintings the second time around. After admiring a few paintings for a third time, Lexa was torn out of her reverie when Clarke's stomach rumbled. Lexa turned to her with the smile already plastered on her face. "Hungry?"

"Quite. I hadn't even realized. Maybe we should go somewhere to eat," Clarke suggested.

"Where do you want to eat? I'll take you anywhere." Lexa squeezed her hand. "It's your choice."

Clarke looked shy for a moment before asking, "Can we just eat in the cafeteria here?"

Lexa was surprised at this suggestion. She had figured she would take Clarke out somewhere nice. She had certainly brought enough money in preparation. "I mean, we can. I just thought you'd want to go somewhere a little nicer than that."

"I'm fine eating here. We always used to. It'll be just like old times," Clarke said, and Lexa smiled at that. She didn't know why she'd been surprised, or why she had even thought Clarke might want to eat somewhere else. Clarke was always so sentimental that Lexa should have known she would want to do things the same way that they had when they were small.

After they got their food and were sitting at a table, they began to eat in comfortable silence, and Lexa couldn't help but feel like they were kids again. She even had the same barbecue chips that she used to get without fail each time they came here. Only now, she was aware of her feelings for Clarke. Now, she looked over at Clarke and saw a beautiful woman that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She only hoped that the woman she was sitting across from felt the same way about her.

"You're staring." Blue eyes turned up to meet green, and Lexa blushed at the fact that she had been caught.

"Oh. Sorry," Lexa mumbled, immediately looking back down at her cheeseburger.

"What were you thinking about?" Clarke asked curiously. Lexa should've known Clarke wouldn't let her off the hook that easily, but she decided that there was no reason why she shouldn't tell the truth.

"Just…how beautiful you are," Lexa admitted, "and how much I love you."

Clarke smiled warmly at her. "I love you too."

Lexa didn't think she would ever get tired of hearing that. It was still a little hard to believe, after she spent so much time thinking that the blonde would never love her back. Clarke reached her hand across the table, holding it palm up, and Lexa carefully placed her hand in the blonde's. Clarke squeezed her hand gently, and Lexa smiled back at her, knowing that this couldn't be more perfect.

* * *

When they got back to Lexa's apartment, Anya and Lincoln were already asleep. Lexa held a finger over her lips and crept to her room, pulling her girlfriend along behind her. Lexa didn't want to wake her siblings, because she knew that if Anya saw the two of them heading to Lexa's room together dressed like they were, she would immediately catch onto what was going on and think they were going to have sex. Lexa knew her sister would never let that go.

After getting ready for bed, Lexa stretched out on her usual side of the bed and waited for Clarke to come out of the bathroom. When she finally saw Clarke's silhouette emerge, she held out her arms to the blonde, inviting her to cuddle like they always did. She grunted in surprise when Clarke climbed right on top of her instead, snuggling into her chest.

Clarke pulled back a bit when she heard Lexa's grunt, and Lexa thought she could make out a bit of concern shining in the blue eyes above her. "I'm not hurting you, am I?"

Lexa shook her head. "You're fine."

She sighed when she felt Clarke's weight settle back against her, loving the new feeling of being pinned underneath the blonde. However, she didn't want anything to turn sexual tonight; it was only their first date after all. So she simply laid under the blond, content. She pulled a blanket up over them before wrapping an arm around Clarke's waist under the covers with one hand and resting the other in her light blond curls. Lexa was just drifting off to sleep when Clarke broke the silence. "Today was perfect. Thank you."

Lexa couldn't have agreed more. She was glad that the night had gone off without a hitch and that it had been more perfect than she could've ever imagined. "You don't have to thank me, Clarke. I'm always happy to spend time with you."

Clarke leaned her head up and captured Lexa's lips in a gentle kiss. The kiss was much too short for Lexa's liking, and she found herself chasing the blonde's lips when she pulled away. She was a little embarrassed at this, at least until Clarke let out a soft laugh, and Lexa smiled at the sound.

"Goodnight, Lexie," Clarke said, settling back into her position on Lexa's chest.

"Goodnight, Clarke," Lexa murmured sleepily.

Thoughts of blue eyes, blond hair, and very kissable pink lips danced on the back of Lexa's eyelids as sleep claimed her for the night.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Wednesday, everyone! I'm sorry this is a little later than usual. Thank you all for continuing to read this story, and as always, enjoy!

Lexa blinked her eyes open the next morning to focus on a pair of blue eyes that were wide open and looking down at her. Lexa smiled at the fact that Clarke had been lying on top of her, simply staring down at the brunette while she slept. Clarke immediately blushed when she realized that she had been caught staring so blatantly. Lexa simply laughed. "How long were you staring for?"

Clarke looked away shyly, not wanting to meet Lexa's gaze. "I don't know. A while."

"You find me sleeping that entertaining, huh?" Lexa asked with an amused smirk.

Clarke blushed even harder, but she finally brought her gaze up to meet Lexa's. "Well, yeah."

Lexa leaned up to press a kiss to her lips. "Don't worry. I find you to be very beautiful as well. I might even do the same thing sometime if I can ever wake up before you."

"I'll be surprised if that ever happens." Clarke chuckled.

Lexa laughed as well, and she would've gladly stayed in bed with Clarke all day since neither of them had class on Fridays, but neither did Anya and Lincoln. Lexa could already hear them clanking around in the kitchen, and she knew that she and Clarke would not be left to their own devices for much longer.

"Our date went quite well last night. I don't see any imminent need to break up with you, so can we tell Anya and Lincoln about us?" Lexa asked.

Clarke smiled. "I don't see why not."

Lexa made no move to get up, though. She was so warm and comfortable all snuggled up with Clarke, and she did not want to move out from under the blonde. Clarke, however, seemed to have other ideas, because she was soon rolling off of Lexa and getting off of the bed. She turned back to her girlfriend, extending a hand. Lexa groaned in protest, but accepted it, allowing Clarke to pull her to her feet as well. "We might as well get out there before they come and get us."

Clarke and Lexa walked out into the living room to find Anya and Lincoln sitting on the couch, eating bowls of cereal. Lexa and Clarke walked over to sit on the adjacent couch, and Lexa could tell that Clarke was just as nervous as she had become, because neither girl said a word. Lexa was mainly worried that Anya wouldn't approve, that she would think the younger blonde was no good for her sister. She could only hope that this would not be the case. Anya was the first to break the silence. "So where were you last night, Lexa? When Lincoln and I got back from campus, you were just gone."

"I was out with Clarke," Lexa replied.

Anya raised an eyebrow. "I gathered that much. What were you guys doing?"

"So, we…that is, Lexa and I…we kind of want to tell you something," Clarke stammered.

"Let me guess. You finally dumped that Finn guy, and you're dating my sister," Anya said, her tone portraying no surprise whatsoever, and Lexa's jaw dropped open in shock.

Clarke gave Anya an incredulous look as well. "How did you know?"

"Because of how nervous you sounded right then. It couldn't have been anything else. I've known you since you were five years old, and I have never seen you as nervous as right now," Anya explained easily.

"Do I have reason to be?" Clarke asked tentatively.

Anya smiled. "Of course not. I love you both, Clarke, and as long as you're happy, I'm happy. If you break my sister's heart though, then we're going to have a problem."

Clarke smiled, shaking her head. "I'm not planning on it."

Lexa breathed out a sigh of relief that Anya approved before turning to Lincoln, wondering how he was taking the news since he had yet to say a word. Lexa almost laughed when she saw how shocked he looked. "So, Clarke, you love Lexa back, and now the two of you are dating?"

Clarke nodded. "Yes."

Lincoln broke out into a smile. "Good for you two. Are you going to tell Mom and Dad?"

Anya jabbed him in the side, but Lexa's brow was already knit in confusion. "Mom and Dad? What do you mean Mom and Dad?"

"I mean, are you going to call them and tell them?" Lincoln asked, but Lexa was not buying it. That would've worked just fine if Anya hadn't appeared so put off by him saying anything, but since she had, Lexa knew that something was up.

"Too late, Lincoln. I know something's up. Anya wouldn't try to quiet you for no reason. You might as well tell me what it is."

Anya sighed. "Mom and Dad are coming to visit tomorrow. It was supposed to be a surprise but—"

Lexa cut her off. "They are?!"

Anya nodded, and Lexa's face broke out in a grin. "I can't wait to see them. And yes, Lincoln, I probably will tell them. I don't want to keep something like this away from them. You know they'll probably be ecstatic. I mean, if that's okay with you, Clarke."

"That sounds great," Clarke assured her. "I don't want to keep this from them either."

"They will definitely support you," Anya said, placing her now-empty cereal bowl onto the coffee table. "You know they've always thought of Clarke as part of the family, and now, it will be official someday."

Lexa shot a glare at her sister when she said this. It wasn't that she didn't want to marry Clarke, because of course she did, but Anya should not be assuming that Clarke would want to marry her. Lexa didn't want to scare the blonde away already. Clarke seemed to notice Lexa's glare because she was quick to grab Lexa's hand and squeeze it reassuringly. Lexa relaxed a bit, hoping that the gesture meant that maybe Clarke wanted to marry her too, but she pushed that thought away. It was way too early in their relationship to be thinking of such things anyway. Lexa relaxed even further when Clarke leaned into her, wrapping her arms around Lexa's waist and snuggling into her chest. Lexa almost laughed when the blonde said, "Good. Now, I can do this without raising questions."

Anya scoffed. "Like we would've questioned that. You two lean all over each other all the time. Just last weekend, I walked in on the two of you cuddling in bed, and I didn't even raise an eyebrow."

Clarke rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Lexa smirked. "Well, now I guess I can do _this_ without raising questions." She put her hand under Clarke's chin to guide it up before leaning down and capturing the blonde's lips in her own. Clarke returned the kiss, pulling Lexa's bottom lip between her teeth. Lexa was just turning the kiss more heated, admittedly forgetting that there were others in the room, when Anya shattered their moment, causing the two of them to spring apart. "Get a room!"

Lincoln grinned at the two girls with a teasing glint in his eye. "We're not going to have to watch you guys make out in front of us all the time now, are we?"

Lexa smiled, wrapping an arm around Clarke to bring the blonde back to rest against her chest. "We'll try to control ourselves."

* * *

The next day, the four of them were sitting on the couches in much the same way they had been the day before. Except rather than lounging around eating cereal, they were waiting for Lexa's parents to arrive. Anya and Lincoln were simply excited, but both Clarke and Lexa were nervous about telling them about their relationship, even though they both knew they had no reason to be. Clarke was also nervous about seeing them again. She hadn't seen them in seven years. Would she even recognize them? More importantly, would they recognize her? She knew she was just being silly – she had easily recognized Lexa when she saw her again, and Lexa had recognized her. Julie and Eric Woods would be no different. At least, she hoped. The four of them had agreed that Clarke would be the one to answer the door since their parents had no idea that they had even gotten back in touch with her. It seemed Clarke wasn't the only one who forgot to mention this big life event to her parents. Anyway, the four of them wanted it to be a complete surprise, and Clarke had no doubt that it would be.

When the sound of the doorbell rang throughout the quiet apartment, Clarke looked around nervously, only finding the courage to get up off the couch when her eyes met encouraging green ones. She wandered over to the door and opened it wide to see Julie and Eric Woods standing on the other side. She was instantly struck with déjà vu when she found herself met with a pair of green eyes that were so similar to the ones she had grown to love, the ones that had just encouraged her moments ago, and she had never realized until that moment just how similar Lexa's eyes were to those of her father. She shouldn't have been surprised, honestly, what with how much Lincoln looked like his mother. Anya was more of an enigma, not really resembling either one of her parents much. Clarke snapped out of her short reverie when she saw the two people at the door staring at her with confusion on their faces. She gave them a small smile and watched as recognition spread across both of their faces. Julie was the first to speak. "Clarke?"

The moment Clarke nodded, she was swept up into Julie's arms and soon after, she was being enveloped into Eric's hug. Clarke noticed that Julie had tears running down her cheeks, and Clarke knew that she herself was crying as well.

"We thought we'd never see you again. When Lincoln first moved back here, he tried to find you, but, well…you weren't there."

"I moved to be closer to Arkadia High, but I'm really glad I found you guys again. I missed you all so much."

The couple's three biological children appeared next to Clarke at that moment, and after they all had their turns to be wrapped into hugs by their parents, Julie turned to face them all. "Why didn't you tell me Clarke was back?"

"Because we wanted to surprise you," Lexa supplied.

"Well, it was a very good surprise," Eric said.

"Actually, that's not the only thing. I need to tell you both something," Clarke announced.

Julie turned to her with concerned brown eyes. "What is it, sweetie? Is something wrong?"

"No. Nothing's wrong. It's just that we started…well, Lexa and I…" Clarke stumbled over her words again.

"Clarke and I are dating, Mom." Lexa came to Clarke's aid, taking Clarke's hand in her own.

Shock washed over the faces of both parents for a brief moment, and Clarke hoped that this news had not upset them. Luckily, her fears were quelled almost instantly when huge smiles broke out on both of their faces.

"You're going to become an official member of the family then?" Julie asked, and Clarke smiled at the fact that Anya had said almost the same exact thing the previous day. Like mother, like daughter. Clarke wanted to nod in agreement because she very much planned on it, but she did not know if Lexa wanted the same thing, and she didn't want to make the brunette uncomfortable, so she refrained from doing so. She searched for an acceptable answer to that question, but before she could even open her mouth, Eric spoke up.

"What are you talking about, Jules?" He turned to Clarke with a warm smile. "You already are."

Clarke nodded gratefully to him, and Lexa was quick to say, "I told you they'd be ecstatic."

Julie was quick to agree. "Of course, dear. We just want you to be happy, and to be honest, Clarke, we and your parents used to consider the possibility that this might happen someday. The two of you always seemed a little bit too close to be just friends."

Tears of joy began to prick the corners of Clarke's eyes again. "Thank you. I'm really glad that both of you approve."

"We didn't plan on you being here, Clarke, but since you are, you know what that means now, right?" Eric was met with a mix of head tilts and confused stares. "Laser tag."

He was immediately met with a chorus of excited cheers, and Clarke added hers to the mix. When they were younger, the local laser tag place had half-price Tuesdays, and so the Woods family and Clarke and sometimes her parents too had gone to play laser tag on Tuesday nights at least once a month. Clarke had almost forgotten this tradition, and she had to say that she was quite excited at the prospect of going back again. As she followed the others out of the apartment, she knew that she hadn't felt this happiness in a long time, the things that she had been missing since she was a child finally falling back into place.

* * *

Abby and Jake met them at the laser tag facility. Long story short, everyone wanted to see them, and the entire Woods clan begged Clarke to call them, so she finally did. She had to admit that she really wanted her parents to come as well, and she was glad when they both said they were free. She figured they would probably cancel their plans even if they had any after receiving the knowledge that Eric and Julie were in town. When Clarke and the Woods family arrived, Jake and Abby were already there, and there was a lot of hugging and teary greetings, from their mothers anyway, after far too long of separation. When the commotion had finally died down, Julie turned to Clarke and Lexa. "I believe our two girls here have some great news they'd like to share with you."

Jake and Abby immediately turned their attention to Clarke and Lexa, and Abby raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"We're dating," Clarke stated easily, and she was relieved that the words had finally just slipped out this time without getting caught in her throat.

Abby looked a little shocked, but Jake wasn't shocked in the least, letting out a small chuckle. "Finally. I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

Clarke found herself laughing as well. "Seriously, Dad? Not even a little surprise?"

Jake shook his head. "Nope. I was secretly hoping this would happen since I heard the news that Lexa was back. I mean, don't get me wrong, Finn's a great guy, but he's just not Lexa, you know?"

"So I've learned." Clarke squeezed Lexa's hand.

"Took you long enough to realize," Lexa teased.

Abby smiled warmly. "I think it's great that you two are together. I hope you stay together for a long time."

Clarke smiled up at her girlfriend. "We're planning on it." She grinned wider when Lexa nodded in confirmation.

"Okay, okay. It's great that Clarke and Lexa are together, but it's laser tag time," Anya spoke up.

She wasn't met with any argument, and Clarke squeezed Lexa's hand one more time before the group made their way inside and divided themselves into two teams.

* * *

Clarke ran into the laser tag arena as the game started up, running behind a wall to hide. It was their fourth game, and this was the first game in which Lexa was not on her team. She was now on a team with Lincoln, Julie, and Jake, and the other team was now comprised of Lexa, Anya, Eric, and Abby. Clarke crept slowly into the corner, ducking behind a wall that had a small opening in it, perfect for her to point her gun through. This had been her favorite place to hide out in the previous games, because it was fairly easy for her to shoot at people without them seeing her. She was glad that Jake and Lincoln had switched sides with Lexa and Anya since her father had caught onto her hiding place during the second game, making it nearly impossible for her to use it for the rest of that game and the next one. He kept coming to check for her there, and he got lots of points by shooting her. She was glad that he was now on her team.

She put her gun up through the opening, waiting for someone to run by and become her next victim. She sat for a good minute before she saw Anya run by, and she took aim, waiting for Anya to turn her back to her. When she did, turning the corner to run in the opposite direction, Clarke easily shot her, scoring points for her team. Clarke quickly pulled her gun out of the hole and crouched behind the wall before Anya even had a chance to turn around and look for the person who had shot her. Clarke stayed perfectly silent for ten long seconds, hoping that Anya would not come around the corner and shoot her. When no one showed up beside her, she chanced a glance through the hole in the wall and breathed a sigh relief when she saw that Anya was gone. Clarke set up her gun again and soon, she was faced with Lexa's wild tangle of brunette curls. Her girlfriend was already facing away from her, so Clarke brought her gun up to aim, quickly shooting her in the back before ducking away again. Clarke snickered at the bewildered look that was sure to be on the other girl's face. She counted to five in her head before looking back out again to see that Lexa was nowhere in sight. She settled her gun back into its position to wait for her next victim. This was too easy.

After successfully shooting Anya another time and Abby and Eric as well, Lexa appeared again, and Clarke waited to have a clear shot of her back before squeezing the trigger on her gun and shooting. She quickly crouched back down, waiting for several seconds before popping her head back up again. Only this time, Lexa wasn't gone. Lexa was still there. And Lexa was looking right at her. This was the only disadvantage of her hiding place. She now had nowhere to run as Lexa ran towards her, trapping her in the corner. Lexa smirked when she shot Clarke square in the chest. Clarke refused to be shot more than once though. She quickly dove between Lexa's legs, hurriedly pushing herself back to her feet before running off into the maze. She could hear Lexa running after her so she tried to dart around any corners that she could, hoping to lose the brunette. As she whipped around another corner, she crashed right into Anya, barely stopping herself from falling to the floor. Anya recovered a lot quicker than she did and shot her easily.

"Haha, got you, Munchkin," Anya bragged.

Clarke grinned smugly. "I already got you twice, Anya. You just didn't see me."

The look of shock that passed across the other blonde's face was priceless. "That was you?!"

Clarke took off running again without even answering, wanting to get away from Anya before Lexa showed up so she wouldn't have to face both of the Woods sisters at once. She tried turning corners fast again, even though it hadn't worked so well for her the first time. Luckily, this time, it was Lincoln who she ran into.

"Lincoln, thank god! Your sisters are after me. Will you stay with me and defend me?" Clarke panted, a little out of breath from the running.

Lincoln nodded. "Of course. We'll get them. They probably won't expect us to be traveling together."

Lincoln was right. When they found Lexa and Anya, they easily shot both of the girls. Soon though, Lexa and Anya pulled their entire team together, traveling as one big pack, so Clarke and Lincoln were forced to do the same. It felt like an all-out war at that point because everyone seemed to get much more serious about the game. It was brutal, each team racking up many points. All too soon, the lights were coming back on, indicating that the game was over. Clarke quickly looked up at the scoreboard to find that her team had lost by a mere two points. A pout settled over her face. "I need a rematch."

"What's wrong, Clarkey? Did you lose?" Anya teased.

"By two points," Clarke grumbled.

Anya high-fived Lexa. "We still won."

At the sight of Lexa, Clarke suddenly didn't care about the game anymore, and she just wanted to feel her girlfriend against her again. It had been fun playing on the opposite team, but now she just wanted Lexa back on her side. "Whatever. I call a truce."

Anya crossed her arms. "There is no truce. This is war."

Lexa laughed, shaking her head at Anya before turning back to Clarke. "You may have your truce."

Clarke's eyes lit up. "Great!"

She ran across the invisible border that had been separating the two opposing teams, and she decided to make it dramatic, as if they really had just called a truce to a war. She jumped into Lexa's arms, wrapping her legs around her girlfriend's waist as the brunette caught her. Clarke placed a quick, chaste kiss to Lexa's lips, mindful of the fact that their parents were watching, and everyone clapped as Lexa lowered Clarke back to the ground. Clarke couldn't help but laugh a bit when she noticed Anya rolling her eyes as she clapped along.

"It looks like we've been reunited, family." Eric reached across the divide to grab his wife's hand.

"I can't argue with that." Jake reached for Abby's hand as well.

Lincoln came over to join his pouting sister, pinching her cheek. "I guess this war is over." The rest of the family laughed as she scowled up at him before giving him a hug, accepting the truce.

"Is ice cream still a good enough way for us to celebrate our peace treaty?" Julie asked.

She was met with a chorus of cheers and head nods, each one varying in its degree of vigor. Clarke nodded her assent as well, knowing she would never want to break the tradition of ice cream after laser tag. She happily followed her big family out to their respective cars, and she smiled even wider when she felt Lexa's arm wrap around her waist. She turned her smile up to her girlfriend, and she realized how lucky she was to be able to call Lexa hers.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys, sorry this chapter is an hour late. I know I usually post on Sundays, but at least it was close, or if you live on the west coast, then I'm still on time. Anyway, as always, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy Clarke and Lexa's second date! :)

That next Tuesday night found Clarke and Lexa at the Polis Mall for their second date. They had just finished eating in the food court, because despite Lexa's insistence that they go somewhere nice on their first date, when Clarke offered to take her somewhere nice tonight, she refused. Clarke guessed that it was because the brunette didn't want to make her pay too much, but Clarke didn't mind. Now, however, the two of them were walking past the shops hand in hand. They had already gone into many of the stores, looking around and just hanging out, but now they had settled for just walking past and glancing through the windows. Clarke didn't mind though. She was just content to enjoy the fact that her girlfriend was right beside her, holding her hand. She didn't think she had ever loved someone as much as she loved the girl next to her, not even Finn. Clarke suddenly wanted to tell her girlfriend this, wanting the brunette to know how much she meant to the blonde, but before Clarke could open her mouth to begin, Lexa was eagerly tugging her into the mall's Books-A-Million.

When Lexa got inside, she blushed, turning back to Clarke with a sheepish grin. "This is okay, right? You don't mind?"

"Of course not." Clarke shook her head. She had never been big on reading, but she wanted this night to be all about Lexa. "You walked around the art museum with me for our first date. This time, I'll do whatever you want."

Lexa smiled at her before disappearing into the shelves of books. Clarke followed and just watched as her girlfriend grabbed book after book. Clarke learned fairly quickly that Lexa was a bit picky. Whenever she found a book that she considered interesting enough to pull off the shelf, she would read the back cover and tell Clarke what was wrong with it before sliding it back into its place. The blonde loved the way that her girlfriend's face pulled down in such concentration when she was reading a book's description, but the best thing was when Lexa found a book she liked. The way her eyes lit up, and the corners of her lips turned up in a small smile told Clarke that she had found a good one. By the end of Lexa's excursion through the store, she had found two books that she considered to be good, and she was staring at both of them now, trying to decide which one she should purchase. After a few minutes, she sighed, turning to Clarke and holding up both of the books. "Which one should I go with?"

Clarke honestly did not know how to help the brunette choose between the two books, because she knew nothing about either one, but she did have something else in mind. "Get both. If they were good enough to pass the Lexa test, then they're probably good enough to read. I'll pay for them."

Lexa gave her a disapproving look. "Clarke."

"Lexa," Clarke shot back, "I let you pay for me to get into the museum, so I will pay for your books."

Lexa nodded in acceptance, and Clarke was glad that she didn't argue further. The brunette seemingly knew that there was no changing Clarke's mind when she had it set on something. Once Clarke had paid for Lexa's new books, they set off through the mall again, walking at a slow pace so as to be able to look into the stores for anything that might catch their eyes.

"Let's play a game," Clarke suggested as they walked. "I'll ask you a question, and then you can ask me, and so on. You know, like people might do to get to know each other."

Lexa laughed a little bit. "We already know everything about each other."

Clarke thought about this, realizing that she did in fact already know almost everything about the girl whose hand she was holding right now. "Okay, smart ass. I guess I only have one question then."

Lexa nodded. "Shoot."

Clarke swallowed, a little nervous all of the sudden, but she asked the question anyway. "Have you ever been in love before?"

Lexa shook her head. "No. I thought I was at one point in high school, but no. Not like this."

"So you've had a girlfriend before?" Clarke asked before she could stop herself, wanting to know everything about this person that Lexa had thought she was in love with.

"Yeah. Her name was Costia. We got together towards the end of my junior year. We were only together for about five months, though, because she transferred schools and moved away. I was really taken with her from the moment we met, and when she agreed to go out with me, I thought I was the luckiest girl in the world. In those five months, we spent all the time that we could together, and I really thought I loved her, but I never saw her again after that summer," Lexa reminisced. "It's fine though. What I felt for her was nothing compared to what I feel for you."

Clarke nodded, and she looked over at Lexa, trying to gather up the confidence to say what she knew she wanted to say next. The brunette girl was looking at her so lovingly that Clarke got the boost of courage she needed to tell Lexa the thing she hadn't ever admitted aloud. "I understand. I feel the same way about you. I mean, I loved Finn, but what I felt for him was nothing compared to what I feel for you. He was safe, gentle, easy to be with, but I realized that I don't want safe anymore. I want you. If you hadn't moved away Lexa, I guarantee you, I wouldn't have even given Finn a second glance."

The minute Clarke was done speaking, a pair of lips were being pressed against hers. She sighed into the kiss, and she didn't think she would ever tire of this feeling. Lexa pulled away a couple seconds later, probably because they were in a public place, and Clarke hummed contently, unable to wipe the smile off her face as they began to walk again. She was glad that she had gotten the courage to say that to the brunette, because she knew it in her heart to be true, and by Lexa's reaction, it was good that she had. She loved it when Lexa kissed her. No kiss had ever felt so right. However, Clarke didn't have much time to think about the moment, because they were only walking for a few more seconds before something caught Lexa's eye. "They're having a half-price sale at Bath and Body Works."

Before Clarke could fully pull herself out of her thoughts, they were inside the store, and Lexa immediately pulled Clarke over to the candle section. The blonde couldn't say that she particularly loved candles, but she was certainly surprised that Lexa clearly did. The brunette hadn't shown a particular liking for them when they were younger. Clarke simply watched as Lexa pulled one of the candles off the shelf. "Yes! They have winter candy apple."

Clarke watched in bewilderment as Lexa pulled out five more candles of the same scent, and then the brunette finally looked up at her, tearing her gaze from the many candles that were now cradled in her arms. "What? It's my favorite scent, and it's seasonal. Plus, they're buy one get one free. I can get these six candles for the price of three."

Clarke couldn't help but laugh. "No need to get so defensive, Lex. I understand, but when did you start liking candles so much?"

"It's a long story," Lexa said, then shrugged, "but I'll give you the abridged version. One year, my mom's friends from work got her a Bath and Body Works gift card for Christmas, and I mean, we'd never really spent much time in this store before, but of course she wanted to spend it, so she went there and bought a few of their Christmas candles. I had never really been around scented candles before, but I soon found that I really love them, and the winter candy apple scent is my favorite."

"I've never even seen candles at your apartment before." Clarke then realized that she hadn't really paid close enough attention to notice if there were, so she quickly corrected herself. "I mean, I've never seen you light any."

"I like to light them in my room while I'm doing homework or studying or... anything really. It provides a nice soothing atmosphere for me. Sometimes, I light them in the living room too when Anya, Lincoln, and I watch TV, but not as often because Anya finds it entertaining to make fun of my 'candle addiction.'" Lexa did air quotes around the last part, causing Clarke to chuckle.

"You don't think you have a little bit of a candle addiction?" Clarke gestured to the six candles that Lexa was still holding.

Lexa didn't even crack a smile, looking at Clarke with a serious expression on her face. "No. Now, I need to pick one more scent. Do you think I should go with vanilla bean or butter cream icing? Oooh, or what about French lavender?" Lexa's eyes darted quickly from candle to candle.

Clarke smirked. "And you say you _don't_ have a candle addiction?"

Lexa rolled her eyes, but Clarke didn't miss the small smile that played out on her lips. "Just shut up and help me pick one."

Clarke turned her eyes back to the candle selection, scanning her eyes over the ones that Lexa had just listed. "Okay, um, how about the lavender one?"

"Sounds great. Lavender it is." Lexa handed Clarke a few of her winter candy apple candles so that she could grab a few of the lavender ones off the shelf. Clarke was glad when she only grabbed two, because she intended to buy all of these for her girlfriend. She was seriously glad that the store was having a sale.

When they got to the counter, and Clarke took out her wallet to pay, she was glad that Lexa didn't protest, seemingly having learned that arguing would do nothing for her but waste both of their time. After buying the candles, the two of them decided to leave the mall, and Clarke suspected that it was because Lexa didn't want to let her girlfriend pay for anything else that she might become excited about. Clarke hadn't really minded though. Even though she had basically followed Lexa around to all the stores she loved, Clarke had really enjoyed herself, and now she understood how Lexa had enjoyed going to the museum with her. It wasn't about what was in front of Clarke in the stores; it was about how happy the brunette would get when she found something she loved. Clarke must have done the same thing around the paintings, and she now understood exactly what Lexa had seen. As they walked in the direction of Lexa's apartment, Clarke tugged on her girlfriend's arm, pulling her to a stop because she didn't want this date to end yet.

"What do you say we go to the club?" Clarke suggested.

"Are you sure you can handle dancing with me?" Lexa asked with a teasing smirk. "I've heard it can be too much."

Clarke playfully elbowed her in the stomach. "Shut up."

"I'd love to go to the club with you, Clarke, but do you think we could stop back at the apartment first?" Lexa asked, holding up her bags from the mall.

Clarke nodded. "Of course."

As the two of them walked the short distance from the mall to Lexa's apartment, the brunette turned to her girlfriend. "I never got to ask you a question."

The blonde met her eyes in confusion. "What?"

"The questions game," Lexa clarified. "You asked me a question, and I never got to ask you one in return."

"Ah, yes. Go ahead."

"When are you going to tell Octavia and Raven about us?"

Clarke was a little taken aback at the question, wondering if she had upset her girlfriend by not telling her friends. She immediately felt bad when she realized that Lexa might feel like Clarke was holding this information back from them because she was ashamed of the brunette, which wasn't the case at all. Clarke realized that her emotions must have played out on her face, because the other girl immediately further explained her question. "It's not that I'm upset or anything. I was just wondering because Lincoln keeps asking if we can all have a group hang out. I suppose it's Octavia's doing, but I think we should probably tell them before we do."

"That's fine. I agree with you. How about we tell them this weekend? It's Halloween, and Raven and Octavia are planning to go to some frat party. How about you guys come along, and I'll tell them before we go?" Clarke suggested.

"That would be great. I'm sure Anya and Lincoln would love to go, and I'd love to go with you too." Lexa smiled brightly.

Clarke nodded. They walked in silence for the last minute that it took them to reach the apartment and when they got inside, Anya and Lincoln were in their rooms, presumably doing homework. As Lexa was making her way to her room with the bags, Anya popped her head out of her own room. "How was the date?"

"Still going," Lexa told her. "I just stopped here to drop off these bags, but we're headed to the club."

Anya nodded to the bags. "What'd you get?"

Lexa blushed furiously as she set the bags down inside her room, and Anya raised an eyebrow. "More candles?"

"They have winter candy apple, Anya, and they were on sale," Lexa defended herself.

Anya just smirked in response. "Have fun at the club."

Lexa sighed once Anya had retreated back into her room. "She's never going to let me live that one down. The moment I come back, she's going to have a field day."

Clarke shrugged. "Guess I'll just have to come back with you then."

Lexa turned pleading eyes on her. "Will you?"

"Of course. Anything for you, my love." Clarke smiled when Lexa blushed at the term of endearment.

* * *

When they arrived at the club, Clarke and Lexa immediately hit the dance floor. Clarke had always loved the club, but it felt even better now that she was dancing with Lexa, especially now that the brunette was her girlfriend. The best part of this situation was that they were all alone. No siblings. No friends. Just the two of them, a nameless crowd, and the loud pump of the beat.

When the opening bars of a slow song began to play, Clarke allowed herself to be pulled into Lexa, and she sighed at the feeling of the brunette's body against hers. They fit perfectly together, just the way that Clarke remembered. Only now, the memory she had held so close to her heart since the two of them had made it was clearly nothing compared to the real thing. Especially now. This time, it didn't matter that Clarke's heart was beating out of her chest, because she knew exactly why. She could feel the brunette's heart pounding as well, and she was glad to know she had the same effect on her girlfriend that the brunette had on her. Even better, this time, she could look into Lexa's green eyes and not feel like she needed to look away. She could simply let herself get lost in the green forest in front of her, and she knew that she never wanted to find her way out of it ever again. The more she stared into those green eyes, the more she wanted to feel soft pink lips against hers. She slowly leaned up, pressing her lips gently against Lexa's, and she smiled into the kiss when she felt the brunette deepen it. There was no need for talking, because everything was already said in the way that their lips moved against each other and their bodies swayed in time to the melody of the music.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Clexakru! Congrats to all of us on winning nine of the awards in the e!online TV Scoop Awards! (even though we lost Best Couple to Shoot) Anyway, this chapter has been one of my all-time favorites to write, so I hope you will all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thanks for reading!

"Are you guys ready?" Clarke looked down at her watch. "Lexa, Lincoln, and Anya should be here any minute."

"I'm so excited!" Octavia's voice exclaimed from the other room.

Clarke glanced in the mirror one more time to make sure her hair was perfect before leaving the bathroom. She was dressed in a pink princess gown with a lovely rhinestone tiara, and she had curled her hair to perfection. It was Halloween, and the Halloween frat party that Clarke and her friends were all going to was tonight. She, Octavia, and Raven had just spent the past two hours getting ready for it. This was also the night she planned to finally reveal to her friends that she and Lexa were dating.

When Clarke entered her bedroom, she was met with the sight of Octavia dressed in all black, only a strip of her face showing so that she could see. She and Lincoln were going as a couple to the party, so they had decided that they would both dress up as ninjas. Little did Octavia know, Clarke and Lexa had decided to go with the whole couples costume idea too. Well, their own dorky version of it. Clarke burst out laughing when her eyes wandered over to Raven. The brunette had lost a bet with Octavia. They'd bet that Raven couldn't go two months without blowing anything up in her chemistry lab, and since Raven had lost, she had to dress up as a firefighter this year.

Raven rolled her eyes at her blond roommate. "It's not that funny."

Clarke shot Raven a teasing grin. "Of course it is, Rae. We all knew you wouldn't be able to go a whole two months without an explosion."

"It was just a tiny little fire," Raven grumbled.

"Yeah, and a major toxic gas leak." Octavia raised her eyebrows. "They had to evacuate the entire building."

"Whatever." Raven crossed her arms.

Octavia looked like she was going to say something else, but Clarke put a hand on her arm to stop her from teasing their other roommate further. This of course made Octavia turn her attention to the blonde. "So, Clarke, remind me again why you're going as a princess. And a better question is, which princess are you supposed to be?"

"I already told you. I'm Princess Clarke." Clarke rolled her eyes, trying her best not to blush as she explained further. "Lexa and I used to tell bedtime stories about Princess Clarke and Commander Lexa, and every year, we would go trick-or-treating as them."

"Yes, but that was when you were ten." Raven pointed out, clearly still feeling a little grumpy about her costume. "Why are you doing it now?"

Clarke bit her lip, but instead of making something up, she decided to tell them the real reason. She promised Lexa that she would tell them before the brunette showed up, and now was the perfect time. "O, you know how you and Lincoln are both going as ninjas because you two are dating?"

Octavia slowly nodded, she and Raven shooting the blonde matching looks of confusion. Clarke took a deep breath.

"Well, this is mine and Lexa's couples costume," Clarke said in a rush.

"You're dating Lexa?!" Octavia and Raven shouted in unison.

Clarke nodded. "Yes."

There were a few seconds of shocked silence before Octavia spoke up. "So you actually do have feelings for her then?"

"Yes." Clarke was sure her face had turned beet red by this point.

"How long?"

"Has this been going on since Finn broke up with you?"

"Finn was the one who helped me realize it. When I danced with Lexa at the club, I felt something for her. When I spent time apart from Lexa after we fought, she was all I talked about. I know you guys noticed it, but Finn noticed it too, and I think that's when he realized that it was only ever going to be Lexa for me. He talked to me about it when he ended things with me. Made it crystal clear that I was in love with her, and so I went over to her apartment. I told her that I was in love with her, and I kissed her, and I wondered why on earth I had ever tried to fight my feelings in the first place." Clarke took a breath before continuing. "Remember when I told you guys that I had dinner with my parents and then spent the night with them the Thursday before last? That was really my first date with Lexa, and we'll have been officially dating for exactly two weeks tomorrow."

Clarke looked up nervously at her friends, hoping they wouldn't just stare at her with unreadable expressions like they were currently doing. After several more seconds, Octavia was the first to speak. "So, Raven's plan worked after all."

Clarke looked at her skeptically. "What do you mean? What plan?"

"Well, I was the one who got you two to dance at the club," Raven said, and Clarke rolled her eyes at her roommate. It was just like the other girl to take credit for something like this. "I didn't have you dance together for no reason. Despite what you may think, you liked Lexa before you danced with her. While you were dancing with Finn, you kept looking over at Lexa. It was like you couldn't keep your eyes off of her, and that was why I had you dance with her. I wanted to push your obvious feelings to the surface so that you could realize them and just go be with the girl you were so hung up on."

"If you would've told me that when it happened, I would've been furious," Clarke admitted, cracking a smile, "but now I'm really glad you did it. If you hadn't, I might be going to this party tonight with Finn while my heart wished desperately that I could be going with Lexa. So thank you, Raven. For everything."

"Anytime." Raven smiled. "I think it's great that you finally got with Lexa."

Octavia nodded her agreement. "Same."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and the three girls inside shot to attention, scrambling to get their last-minute items ready. Clarke made her way to answer the door in nervous anticipation. She hadn't seen Lexa dressed as the commander since they were ten, and she realized now that she really wanted to. She was excited to see how her girlfriend was going to look in her costume. Clarke swung the door open to reveal Lexa on the other side, and her jaw dropped. Lexa was so much hotter than she could've ever imagined in the outfit, and Clarke was surprised to find that she wanted to pull Lexa into the room with her and rip it off. The costume was almost the same as the ones her mom used to make for her as a kid, and Clarke wouldn't be surprised if she heard that the brunette's mother had made this one for her as well. Lexa was dressed in black jeans and a long coat that went all the way to the floor, and she wore her full battle armor, including her shoulder guard and the long red sash that hung from it. Her hair was pulled away from her face in many braids, and there was black warpaint smeared across her face. Clarke especially loved the warpaint as it made Lexa's green eyes stand out, and she couldn't help her desire to tangle her fingers in Lexa's braided hair. Clarke was brought back to attention when she noticed the smirk that had settled across her girlfriend's face. The brunette raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you just going to stand there and drool all day, or are you and your friends going to come join me at the party?"

Clarke recovered quickly. "If you play your cards right, Commander, I might be coming somewhere other than the party. Like, maybe in your bedroom."

Lexa bit her lip, a blush dancing across her cheeks. "You do look hot in that outfit."

"Will you guys stop flirting and move?" Raven appeared behind Clarke, pushing her out the door.

Clarke stumbled into Lexa, and the brunette caught her around the waist to steady her. "Careful, Princess."

Octavia appeared by Raven's side, rolling her eyes at the two girls in front of them. "Stop flirting and get moving."

Clarke sighed, but she decided they were right. They needed to get moving if they wanted to make it to the party on time. She slipped her hand into Lexa's as they walked to the car, Octavia and Raven following behind them.

* * *

When they arrived at the party, Clarke's ears were filled with the chatter of many college kids and the booming beat of the music. It felt nice to be in this kind of setting again because, for some reason, it always calmed her, like the club. Clarke couldn't help but smile at the Halloween decorations that were all over the frat house. There were cobwebs and skeletons everywhere, and Clarke had to admit that it was cool that they had fog machines. Octavia immediately pulled Lincoln to the makeshift dance floor that was in the main room. Raven and Anya, who was dressed as a pirate, made their way over to join Bellamy, who came with some of his friends from class who were all dressed as police officers. Clarke suddenly wanted nothing more than to dance with her girlfriend, and she was about to ask Lexa to accompany her to the dance floor, but Lexa beat her to the punch. "Dance with me, my princess?"

"Of course, Commander." Clarke smiled, accepting Lexa's extended hand and allowing herself to be pulled onto the dance floor. She rested a hand on Lexa's shoulder and kept holding the brunette's hand with the other, and she felt Lexa's hand come to rest upon her waist. They swayed to the beat of the music, and Lexa twirled Clarke around before pulling the blonde back into her so that their bodies were pressed together again, the way that Clarke had come to love so much. She let out a soft sigh as her body melded perfectly with Lexa's, and she loved the way that the two of them were left completely to their own devices. Octavia and Lincoln were too busy dancing together, and Anya, Raven, and Bellamy seemed content to stand around and talk, which meant that Clarke and Lexa were not bothered. Clarke could simply dance with her girlfriend and let the world melt away as she stared up into soft green eyes.

"Thank you," Lexa whispered as she stared back into Clarke's blue eyes.

Clarke's brow furrowed in confusion. "For what?"

Lexa shrugged. "Just being with me."

"I never would've been happy without you," Clarke said sincerely. She was rewarded with a huge smile from Lexa, and she knew right then and there that she wanted to make the brunette smile like that every day for the rest of her life.

* * *

Later that evening, Octavia and Lincoln decided to take their costumes seriously and pantomime a ninja fight in the backyard, throwing fake punches at each other and trying to duck and roll out of the way. Clarke and Lexa were content to watch them - the two ninjas were doing a great job of making their fight look real. Soon, Clarke realized that Octavia and Lincoln were starting to draw in quite the crowd, many people who had previously been hanging out in the yard wandering over to watch. After a few minutes, Clarke noticed Lexa's face break out in a grin, and then she was running in to the middle of the fight, letting out a battle cry as she unsheathed one of the plastic swords she had strapped to her back. She easily faked a stab at both Octavia and Lincoln with it, and they each fell to the ground, pretending to die as the great Commander Lexa held her sword up in victory. The crowd cheered around her, but Clarke wasn't going to let her win that easily. She walked up while Lexa's back was to her, sliding the second sword out of the other sheath on the brunette's back. "Not so fast, Commander. You may have been able to beat those ninjas, but can you beat me?"

"Of course I can, _Princess_ ," Lexa said the name with a mock sneer. "I am a warrior."

"I guess we'll find out then." Clarke twirled the sword around in her hand, having had experience from playing with Lexa's swords many times when they were children, and the crowd cheered for her.

Lexa easily twirled her sword as well. "I guess we will."

Clarke made the first move, but as she swung her sword, it clanged against Lexa's as the brunette blocked her strike. Lexa tried to swing her sword at Clarke's head, but the blonde ducked, trying to stab Lexa in the stomach. However, the brunette was too quick, jumping back out of the way so that the blonde sliced through thin air. Clarke tried to swing down at Lexa's shoulder, but Lexa was quick to bring her sword up to meet the blonde's again, blocking the attack yet again. They sparred for a good five minutes before Clarke was able to knock Lexa's sword from her hands. The plastic weapon skittered across the pavement of the patio, landing far out of the brunette's reach, and Lexa dropped down to her knees in defeat. Clarke pressed her plastic sword against Lexa's throat, and the brunette raised up her arms in surrender as green eyes filled with fake fear were turned up to meet Clarke's, causing a shout of triumph to escape from the blonde's lips. Clarke reveled in the cheers that went up in the crowd around her, but the more she looked at Lexa on her knees like that, the more the blonde didn't want to fight anymore, because she wanted her girlfriend on her knees for entirely different reasons.

Clarke helped Lexa to her feet and tangled her fingers into braided hair, pulling the other girl closer to meet her lips. The two of them made out for a few seconds as the crowd cheered around them, and then Clarke turned to look out at the many people that were gathered around her. She easily spotted her friends cheering along, and she turned back to Lexa with a huge grin on her face, noticing that her expression was mirrored on the brunette's face. As she gazed into those happy green eyes, she couldn't help but pull Lexa's lips back to hers.

* * *

As soon as they got back to the apartment, Clarke pulled Lexa into her bedroom, and Octavia pulled Lincoln into his, leaving Anya to make her way to her own bedroom with the grumbled request that they "just please don't be too loud."

The minute the door was closed, Clarke was being pressed into it as Lexa hungrily captured the blonde's lips with her own. Clarke bit down on Lexa's bottom lip and shuddered as Lexa growled into her mouth.

"Maybe we should be quieter," Clarke murmured out in between kisses.

"Don't worry. Octavia and Lincoln won't be, and Linc's room is closer to Anya's than mine," Lexa said against Clarke's lips.

Clarke simply nodded, pulling Lexa back against her so there was no space in between their bodies. As the two of them continued to make out, Clarke wanted nothing more than to feel Lexa lying on top of her in the bed, her bare skin pressed against Clarke's own. The blonde didn't really know what had come over her in that moment. All she knew was that she wanted Lexa out of her clothes. Now. Lexa clearly wanted the same, because she began to push Clarke's dress down off her shoulders. Clarke disconnected her lips from Lexa's for a moment so that the brunette could get the princess gown the rest of the way off her body, and then Clarke crashed their lips together again, not wanting to be apart from her for more than a few seconds.

Clarke began to remove Lexa's armor, easily discarding the brunette's shoulder guard and swords, but her fingers began to fumble around a bit when she reached the belts on Lexa's waist. Clarke groaned in frustration, wanting nothing more than to just remove this barrier of clothing that was between them. Lexa smirked, and Clarke relaxed a bit when the other girl began to help her undo the belts. Once they were all undone, Clarke was immediately pushing Lexa's coat off her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor before lifting the girl's undershirt up over her head and dropping it to the floor behind her. As she moved her hands to the button of Lexa's pants, she looked up into the brunette's eyes, asking silent permission, which Lexa granted with a nod. Lexa simply stood there as Clarke slid her pants down her long legs and off of her, leaving the brunette standing there in her lacy black bra and underwear.

Clarke stared shamelessly, enjoying the way that her girlfriend looked in the dim light that was coming in through the window, before pushing Lexa down to lie on the bed and climbing on top of her. The brunette moaned in response, at the feel of Clarke's skin against hers, and Clarke had to try hard not to do the same. Clarke moved her lips back up to Lexa's, kissing her passionately as their tongues battled for dominance. Then, Clarke pulled back, and Lexa whined at the lack of contact until the blonde began to press light kisses down her jawline and onto her neck. Clarke sucked hard on Lexa's pulse point, eliciting a loud moan of pleasure, and she had to stifle a giggle, because there was no way that Anya didn't hear that one. Hell, Octavia and Lincoln might have even heard it. Clarke definitely wanted to hear many more sounds like that one coming from her girlfriend. She trailed her kisses down to the valley in between Lexa's breasts, pressing gentle kisses to Lexa's cleavage before removing the brunette girl's bra completely. At the sight of her girlfriend's breasts, a carnal desire took over Clarke, and she immediately took one of Lexa's breasts into her mouth. She sucked hard, causing the other girl to emit another loud moan as she tangled her fingers in Clarke's hair in order to keep her where she was. Clarke dutifully kept up her actions while one hand trailed down Lexa's stomach moving lower and lower before slipping into the brunette's underwear to move down Lexa's soaked slit.

"You're so wet," Clarke growled, sliding Lexa's underwear down for better access. She smiled when the brunette underneath her kicked them the rest of the way off.

"I can't help it," Lexa admitted, cheeks tinged pink.

Clarke almost moaned at this admission alone. She loved the fact that she and only she was able to get her girlfriend this worked up. She quickly dove back down to take Lexa's other breast into her mouth while she entered Lexa with a finger. The brunette arched her back at the contact, and Clarke quickly added another, developing a steady rhythm as Lexa's moans began to increase. Lexa's hips bucked up to meet hers, and Clarke moved down, spreading Lexa's legs a bit more so that she could fit between them. She swirled her tongue around the brunette's clit as she added a third finger. Lexa was pulling hard at Clarke's hair now, but the blonde didn't care, knowing that Lexa was close and deciding to push her over the edge without teasing. She sucked hard on Lexa's clit while curling her fingers inside the brunette, and Lexa's body arched off the bed as she screamed Clarke's name. Clarke watched silently as Lexa came down from her high before sliding her fingers out of the other girl and sucking them clean, relishing in the taste of her girlfriend. She then moved up the bed to lie down beside Lexa, and the brunette turned her head to look at the blonde. "I couldn't have asked for a more perfect first time."

"This was you first?" Clarke asked in disbelief, and Lexa nodded.

Clarke's brow furrowed. "Why didn't you tell me? I would've been more careful with you."

"You were amazing, Clarke," Lexa assured her.

"You said you loved Costia though. How come you never took it to the next level with her?" Clarke asked curiously.

Lexa looked pensive for a moment before answering. "It just never felt right."

Before Clarke could respond, Lexa was rolling on top of her, ready to let her girlfriend know just how right it felt with her. Clarke grunted in pleasure at the added weight, loving the feeling of Lexa lying on top of her as they began making out again. Lexa pulled back way before Clarke wanted her to, and the blonde had to bite back a whine as Lexa sat up to straddle her. Clarke suddenly felt self-conscious when Lexa pulled off her bra, and she had to stop herself from crossing her arms over her chest. She knew she was being silly, but she hadn't really thought about this moment before when she decided that she wanted to give herself completely to Lexa. What if the other girl didn't like what she saw? She chanced a glance up at Lexa's face, trying to gauge her reaction, but the brunette was just staring in awe, unmoving, and Clarke watched as a tear slipped from her girlfriend's eye. The blonde was immediately worried at what that tear might mean. "Lexa, what's wrong? I didn't hurt you earlier, did I?"

"Nothing's wrong. It's just…you're so beautiful, Clarke," Lexa breathed out.

Clarke's heart swelled when she heard those words from the brunette. She felt heat rise to her cheeks when she realized she was a little scared to do this, but she knew there was no one else she'd rather be with than the girl who was currently looking down at her. "Just be gentle, okay? This is my first time as well."

Lexa's jaw dropped open in shock. "Ever?"

Clarke nodded shyly.

"So you and Finn never…?"

Clarke shook her head.

"Why?" The bewildered look had not left Lexa's face. "If you don't mind my asking."

"It just never felt right," Clarke responded, repeating Lexa's words from earlier, and a huge grin spread across the brunette's face.

Lexa kept Clarke's request in mind as she began by gently kneading Clarke's breasts, tugging lightly on her nipples and checking Clarke's facial expressions as she went to make sure none of her actions were hurting the blonde. Clarke tugged lightly at Lexa's brunette curls, letting the brunette know she was fine, and Lexa seemed to get the message, moving down to take one of Clarke's nipples into her mouth and sucking lightly. Clarke squirmed beneath her, feeling the heat pooling between her legs, and she found herself wishing that the brunette's mouth was elsewhere. Once Lexa seemed to be satisfied with her work on Clarke's breasts, she finally began to move lower, removing Clarke's underwear at a pace that was far too slow for the blonde. Lexa then spread Clarke's legs apart, looking up at her girlfriend for permission. "Is this okay?"

"Yes," Clarke said, spreading her legs wider to let Lexa know she wanted the brunette inside of her now. Lexa dipped her head between Clarke's legs, licking up her slit once first to collect all her juices. Clarke moaned at the contact when Lexa finally slipped her tongue inside of her, moving at a slow pace. The feeling instantly left Clarke wanting more, and she realized that she wanted Lexa to speed up her actions.

"Faster," Clarke panted.

Lexa obliged, moving her tongue in and out of the blonde at a much faster pace. Clarke squealed in pleasure, bucking her hips up to keep pace with Lexa, but to her chagrin, the brunette moved a hand up to hold her down. Clarke couldn't help herself as she wrapped her legs tightly around Lexa's head, holding her in place and forcing her to press further into the blonde. Clarke gripped tightly onto the sheets as Lexa's tongue pumped in and out of her, and she knew that she was getting close. When she finally reached her high, she moaned Lexa's name so loudly that she was sure that the rest of the occupants of the apartment heard her, but she found she didn't really care at all.

Lexa helped the blonde ride out the rest of her orgasm before pulling her tongue back into her mouth. She tried to pull away from Clarke, but found that she was stuck where she was due to Clarke's legs still being wrapped tightly around her head, making it impossible for her to move.

Not knowing what else to do, Lexa called the blonde's attention to the situation. "Clarke."

Clarke moaned at the vibrations that Lexa's voice made against her center, reveling in the pleasure that coursed through her body. It took her a moment before she finally realized why Lexa had called her name, and she blushed as she finally released Lexa's head from its previous position of being pressed against her core.

"Sorry," Clarke mumbled in embarrassment as Lexa settled into the mattress beside her.

Lexa smirked at her girlfriend. "You don't ever have to apologize for that."

"Good." Clarke smiled.

They laid in silence for a few moments before Clarke pulled Lexa to lie on top of her, already missing the feel of the other girl pressed against her. Lexa looked as if she was about to argue for a second, but she clearly thought better of it because she settled into Clarke, resting her head against the blonde's chest. Clarke was just about to fall asleep when Lexa murmured, "And the princess and the commander finally realized they had been in love with each other all along. Prince Zander was sent away, and Princess Clarke and Commander Lexa lived happily ever after."

"Soon after this realization, the princess and the commander had their first time together," Clarke added, "and it was absolutely amazing."

Lexa nodded in agreement. Clarke brought her arm up to wrap securely around Lexa's waist, and Lexa snuggled further into her. As the brunette rested against her, Clarke began to undo some of the braids in Lexa's hair, and she smiled when she realized they had completely neglected to remove Lexa's now slightly smudged warpaint.

"Do you want to take your warpaint off?" Clarke asked the brunette softly. She pressed a kiss to the top of Lexa's head when she realized that her commander was already asleep.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's excited for Clarke and Lexa's third date?! I hope you all enjoy this new chapter, and thank you to everyone who is continuing to read this!

Clarke had gotten back from class on Thursday to an empty dorm. Octavia and Raven were still in class, leaving her all alone. Since she was bored, and she knew Lexa was out of class by now, she had decided to head over to Lexa's apartment. She figured that she could hang out there for a while, even though their date wasn't until later. Clarke was just now getting off of the elevator on Lexa's floor, and she made her way down the long hallway, knocking on room 322, the one she knew to be Lexa's. When the door opened, Clarke came face to face with Anya.

"Lexa's not here." Anya stepped away from the door to let Clarke in.

The blonde's brow furrowed in confusion. "Well, where is she? We're supposed to hang out later tonight."

"She knows that, but she wasn't expecting you to show up for another hour. She's at the library." Anya plopped back down on the couch next to Lincoln.

Clarke took a seat on the other couch. "Sorry. Octavia and Raven are both in class, so I was bored."

"Well, it's a good thing you came here then." Lincoln held up his Wii remote. "We're playing Mario Kart. Want to join in?"

"Of course." Clarke smiled brightly at the prospect. "I haven't played in years though."

Anya shrugged. "That's okay. We'll start with an easy course, so you can get the hang of it again."

"You'll catch on again quickly," Lincoln promised.

Anya tossed Clarke a Wii remote and went back to the title screen in order to add another player. Once Clarke was all set up, choosing Peach as her character and picking a motorcycle as her vehicle, they began with Moo Moo Meadows, one of the easiest courses in the game. Clarke found that she got the hang of the game quickly, but she still lost to Anya and Lincoln. Anya easily won the round, to her delight. Lincoln shook his head. "Looks like we'll have to play a harder course to take Anya down. Are you okay with that, Clarke?"

Clarke nodded. "Let's do Moonview Highway."

They selected the course, and Clarke smiled brightly. This had always been her favorite when she used to play with the Woods children, and then her friends after the Woods family had moved away. Clarke easily kept up pace with Anya and Lincoln throughout the race, and the game was a close one, each of them pulling ahead of one another countless times. On the final lap, Lincoln got hit by a car, leaving Anya and Clarke to fight it out for the first place. Clarke knew they were getting close to the finish line, but Anya was still ahead of her. She gritted her teeth in determination, refusing to let Anya beat her on her favorite course. Her character grabbed an item box, and she squealed in delight when she saw a red turtle shell appear in her inventory. She quickly threw it at Anya, causing the older blonde's character to flip over, and Clarke easily passed her, crossing the finish line moments later in first place. "I won!"

"Cheater!" Anya yelled in despair.

"It's not cheating when those are the rules," Clarke said smugly.

"Clarke won fair and square," Lincoln agreed.

"Fine. Fine. You got lucky." Anya sighed, and then her face twisted up into a devilish smirk. "But let's see how you fare on Rainbow Road."

Clarke nodded, never one to back down from a challenge, especially if Anya was the one issuing it. "Alright. Let's do it."

Anya started up the race, and Clarke soon remembered that this course was significantly harder than the others. She had to try hard, but she managed to stay on the road without falling over the edge. She was ahead of Lincoln, but Anya was still in the lead, and Clarke was extremely nervous that she was going to fall off the track and plummet to earth. She squealed in triumph when Anya fell off on the second lap, allowing Clarke to take the lead. Lincoln was still behind her, but there was a sizable space between them, and Clarke felt a little less uptight. Anya steadily made her way back up into second, and Clarke realized that the older girl had a red turtle shell. When Anya threw the shell, Clarke was prepared, holding out a banana peel to stop it from doing any damage. Anya groaned in frustration, and Clarke held her head higher when she realized that she pretty much had this game won. However, when she had the finish line in sight, a blue spiny shell flew over her head, causing her to explode. Clarke was excited to see that Anya accidentally got caught in the explosion too, but Lincoln drove right past them both, crossing the finish line for the win. "Better luck next time, ladies."

"Wow, Lincoln. Wow." Anya shook her head, narrowing her eyes at him.

Clarke only laughed, fine with losing a game as long as it wasn't to Anya. The three of them decided to choose Bowser's Castle as their last course, and Clarke was happy with that choice because she found it to be rather easy. She easily took the lead and held it, leaving Anya and Lincoln to fight it out for second place. When Clarke was just about to jump over the lava, Lexa walked in, distracting Clarke from the game for a moment and causing her to fall in the lava pit. "Lexa! I was winning that game too."

"It's not her fault, Munchkin." Anya's eyes never left the screen. "Neither one of us turned to look at how incredibly attractive our little sister apparently looks today."

Clarke blushed a little. "Shut up, Anya."

Clarke turned her attention back to the game as Lexa sat down on the couch beside her, settling in to watch. The blonde realized that she was now in tenth place, and she was glad to see that her next item box was a bullet. However, most of the other characters had already crossed the finish line, and Clarke found herself pulling across it in eighth place. She looked down in embarrassment, but she didn't even need to say anything because Anya was already loudly complaining about the fact that Lincoln had beaten her again.

"Sometimes you have to lose, Anya," Lexa said with a smirk.

Anya rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Lexie Loo."

"Well, we should probably head out." Clarke stood up from her place on the couch, and Lexa followed. "It was really fun hanging with you guys though."

Anya nodded. "Always a pleasure."

"Definitely. We're always happy to hang out with you, Clarke." Lincoln smiled at her.

Clarke dipped her head to him. "Likewise."

"So where are the two of you off to?" Anya asked curiously.

"We are going into Arkadia to go to the aquarium there." Lexa shot a glance at her girlfriend. "Clarke here says she has never been despite having lived there for four years, and I'd love to go as well."

"Well, you kids have fun. I'll be here beating Lincoln's ass at Mario Kart."

"In your dreams, Anya," Lincoln teased.

Clarke and Lexa shook their heads at the other two as they walked out the door. Clarke felt excitement bubble up in her chest as she took Lexa's hand, excited to go out for date number three. When they got out to the parking lot, Clarke eagerly pulled Lexa to her motorcycle, pleased with herself that she had learned where Lexa always parked it.

* * *

When the two girls arrived at the Arkadia Aquarium, Clarke realized that it was bigger than she had previously expected, as well as clearly rather expensive. She tugged at Lexa's arm, pulling her to a stop before they could walk inside the building. "Lexa. This is too expensive. I'm paying for myself to get in."

Lexa gave her a disapproving glance. "Clarke, it's my turn to pay, remember?"

"Well, yeah, but I didn't realize the place was this expensive." Clarke sighed, trying to think of a way that she could talk Lexa out of paying for her, but she quickly found that there was nothing she could do. The brunette would never agree to let Clarke pay for herself to get in, so she knew that she would have to try a different tactic. "So if you pay for me to get in here, then I get to take you out to dinner afterwards. Somewhere nice."

Lexa looked down at her outfit of black leggings and a t-shirt. "I don't think I'm dressed accordingly to go somewhere nice."

Clarke realized that her own clothing was no better than Lexa's, but she didn't care. What? Were the people at the restaurant going to turn them away at the door? Well, she certainly hoped not, but she decided that this was the only way that she would agree to let Lexa pay for her to get into the aquarium. "That's my deal, Lexa. Take it or leave it."

Lexa bit her lip hesitantly for a moment before sighing. "I'll take it."

"Great. Let's go." Clarke began to pull Lexa towards the entrance again.

Once they were both inside of the aquarium, they started down the hallway, looking at the fish tanks that made up most of the wall. Clarke seriously enjoyed seeing all of the fish swimming right by her. There were many exhibits to admire as they walked down the hallway, but it was the room at the end of the hall that really caught Clarke's attention. There was a huge cylindrical tank in the center of the room, and Clarke gazed up at it with awe-filled blue eyes. It extended from the floor to the ceiling, and there were all kinds of exotic-looking fish inside. Clarke immediately made her way over to it, so she could inspect it more closely, pulling Lexa along with her.

"This is beautiful," she breathed, not taking her eyes away from the tank in front of her. "I really wish I had my sketchpad with me right now. This would make for a great drawing."

Lexa smiled. "Definitely."

Clarke turned her eyes to the girl beside her to see Lexa looking at her instead of the fish in the tank. Her skin was glowing a soft blue color from the reflection of the water that was in front of them, and Clarke couldn't help but think that this girl standing next to her might make for an even better drawing. Clarke held Lexa's heated gaze for a moment before leaning in to press her lips to the brunette's. When Lexa started to reciprocate, Clarke pulled her lips back, dancing away from her girlfriend with a teasing glint in her eyes. "We should probably go see the next exhibit."

"You are such a tease." Lexa rolled her eyes as she made her way after the blonde.

The next hallway was more of a tunnel that was made of glass so that the tourists could see the marine life on all sides, even overhead. Clarke smiled when she realized this was the shark tank, and she and Lexa stepped onto the moving conveyor belt that made up the floor, presumably to keep people from standing too long to admire the sharks, as the hallway wasn't considerably big in the first place. Clarke found this whole set-up to be extremely cool. She almost felt like she was in the tank herself, watching the sharks swim by without being able to touch her.

"Imagine if you saw these things in the ocean." Lexa looked up as a shark swam directly overhead. Clarke noticed the slight look of apprehension that was in Lexa's eyes as she said this, and the blonde smirked. Lexa was afraid of sharks. Well, not that anyone wouldn't be afraid of a shark that was swimming right at them, but Clarke got the feeling that Lexa was the kind of person who worried about sharks the entire time that she was in the ocean. Clarke watched her girlfriend staring cautiously at a shark that was swimming right by them, and she playfully pushed her into the glass, causing the brunette to practically jump out of her skin. Clarke immediately started laughing, not being able to stop herself, and Lexa glared at her. "That wasn't funny. That was mean."

Clarke leaned over to kiss her cheek. "It was pretty funny."

Lexa huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and walking quickly out of the shark tunnel. Clarke shook her head, following her girlfriend out to the next exhibit, and she was glad to find that the brunette had relaxed considerably now that they were away from the sharks. Clarke tentatively took her girlfriend's hand, hoping she hadn't actually angered the other girl, and she breathed a slight sigh of relief when Lexa's fingers curled around hers.

Clarke's face brightened up when she saw that the next exhibit consisted of sting rays and that the visitors of the aquarium were allowed to touch them. Clarke pulled Lexa over to the sting ray pool and instantly stuck her hand into the water, feeling along the smooth skin of the rays as they swam by. Clarke was surprised to find Lexa stick her hands right in as well. The blonde raised an eyebrow at her. Of course her girlfriend would be fine with touching the sting rays when she couldn't even handle simply looking at the sharks. Clarke watched in amazement as Lexa put a hand under one of the sting rays, gently lifting it out of the water a bit. It was really cool…until it continued to flap its fins, splashing water all over and sending a wall of water over Clarke. Lexa released it back into the water, and the blonde looked down in dismay at her now soaked shirt. "Lexa!"

Lexa just snickered, clearly having done it on purpose. "That's what you get for pushing me into that shark."

Clarke looked over at Lexa, glaring at the other girl when she realized that the brunette's shirt was simply speckled with small drops of water. "I hate you, you know that?"

Lexa took her hand again and pulled her along. "I know you love me."

Clarke grumbled under her breath, but she couldn't deny the fact that Lexa was right.

* * *

That night, the two girls ate out at Rhonda's steakhouse, a fancy five-star steak restaurant in the center of town. Clarke was glad that the two of them weren't turned away at the door, seemingly dressed appropriately enough. She was also glad that her shirt had long since dried. Lexa allowed her to pay without argument, and Clarke really enjoyed herself in such a nice setting with Lexa. She knew by the smile on Lexa's face as they walked outside afterward that the brunette had a good time as well.

Clarke decided to go back to the apartment with Lexa since it was Thursday night, and neither of them had class the next day. When they arrived, Clarke was surprised to find it empty, devoid of the two that had been there before she and Lexa had left. She turned to Lexa questioningly, but the other girl did not seem in the least bit surprised to find her siblings out.

"Where are Anya and Lincoln?" Clarke asked.

"Probably at some party or something." Lexa shrugged. "Don't worry about it. We've got the place to ourselves. You know what that means?"

"What?" Clarke asked, sure she was going to very much like what that meant. She was proven right when Lexa headed for the bedroom. Clarke followed eagerly behind her, watching as the brunette opened one of the drawers on her nightstand. She was instantly intrigued. Did Lexa have toys or something? She watched in anticipation, but her shoulders slumped when the brunette girl pulled out a lighter and held it up with a triumphant grin. "I can light all my candles without Anya making fun of me."

Clarke watched as Lexa went around her room, lighting all six of her winter candy apple candles before sitting back on the bed with a smile on her face. Clarke began to smell the scent of the candles after a few moments, and she had to admit it was a good scent, but she still really wanted to do something with Lexa other than smell the new candles. Lexa was sitting on the bed with a blissful smile on her face, and Clarke just decided to go for it, knowing that her girlfriend would stop her if she didn't want to go there tonight. Clarke began kissing Lexa's neck, and she smiled when she felt long fingers tangle into her blond hair, taking this as a sign that she should keep going. She nipped and sucked her way down to Lexa's collarbone before pulling the sleeve of Lexa's shirt down and continuing her trail along the brunette's shoulder. Lexa was already making tiny sounds of pleasure, but Clarke wanted to hear the other girl moaning much louder than that tonight, especially since they were the only ones in the apartment at the moment. She pulled Lexa's shirt up and over the brunette girl's head before simply taking a moment to admire the way that the candlelight danced across her girlfriend's body. Lighting the candles had been a good idea, and for the first time since Lexa bought them, Clarke decided that she very much liked them too, but for a different reason. While the brunette liked them for their scent, Clarke liked the soft glow that they gave to the setting that the two girls were now in. They made this moment feel all the more intimate, and Clarke wasn't sure that she could explain why. She _was_ sure, though, that the girl in front of her would look even more glorious by candlelight once all her clothes were off.

"You up for this tonight?" Clarke asked, giving her girlfriend a chance to back out when she wasn't being distracted by the blonde's kisses.

"Of course." Lexa nodded, and Clarke almost moaned aloud when she saw the desire in the brunette's eyes. That was all she needed to crash her lips back into Lexa's, unclasping the brunette's bra and moving her own fingers to knead Lexa's breasts. The brunette moaned into her mouth, and Clarke moved down to her neck again, sucking roughly. She was almost positive that there would be a mark there in the morning, and she only hoped that her girlfriend would not be mad at her for it. Lexa's hips bucked into Clarke with need, and the blonde got the message, trailing her hands down to unbutton Lexa's jeans.

"Lie down," Clarke told her authoritatively.

Lexa nodded, complying easily and lying back on the bed as Clarke quickly removed her pants. Instead of taking her underwear off as well, Clarke decided to tease her girlfriend, rubbing her through the garment. Clarke smirked as Lexa whined in frustration, thrusting her hips up again, and the blonde finally complied a little, sliding the brunette's underwear off her legs and tossing them aside. She spread Lexa's legs apart, and began to place kisses on the insides of Lexa's thighs. Lexa whimpered in need, but Clarke ignored her, simply continuing to do what she had been doing. When she finally turned to Lexa's center, she smirked in satisfaction at the sight of her girlfriend practically dripping. Clarke couldn't stop herself from thrusting her tongue into Lexa a few times, reveling in the girl's loud moans, but when she came to her senses, she pulled out again, pressing kisses against Lexa's soft folds instead. Lexa growled in frustration, grabbing a fistful of blond hair and shoving Clarke's face against her. "Please stop teasing me."

Clarke smiled at the fact that she had finally pushed her girlfriend far enough to say something about it. "Your wish is my command."

Lexa let out a loud moan of pleasure at the vibrations Clarke's voice created against her core, and the blonde finally decided to give her girlfriend what she wanted. She took Lexa's clit into her mouth and entered the other girl with two fingers, developing a steady rhythm as she pumped in and out of the brunette. When she felt Lexa's walls tightening around her fingers, Clarke quickened her pace, and she smiled when she heard Lexa scream her name moments later.

Once the brunette had come down from her high, Clarke pulled out of Lexa and moved back up the bed to lie beside her, brushing the other girl's slightly sweaty brunette curls away from her face and admiring the way the beads of sweat on her girlfriend's body captured the flickering flames of the candles that filled the room. Suddenly, Clarke was being flipped onto her back, and Lexa was on top of her, kissing her hungrily. The blonde allowed it for a few seconds, but then she pulled back, successfully getting Lexa's attention. "What's wrong?"

"I just want to remind you not to forget to blow out the candles before we go to sleep. I don't want us to accidentally set the place on fire," Clarke panted, still out of breath from the kiss.

"Don't worry. I'll be sure to blow them out," Lexa promised before adding, "I wouldn't want to waste them."

Clarke shook her head teasingly. "I should've known."

"They're seasonal," Lexa defended herself.

"I know, babe," Clarke said, "but Anya's right about your candle addiction."

Lexa was about to protest, but Clarke pulled her down into a searing kiss, successfully cutting her off, and she was glad when her girlfriend seemingly forgot what they had been talking about. A few seconds later, and Clarke couldn't remember either.


	20. Chapter 20

The next morning, Clarke awoke feeling a little cold, and she realized that she or Lexa must have moved in their sleep, because they were no longer curled up together. Clarke rolled over to burrow back into Lexa's side only to feel that the brunette's side of the bed was empty. The blonde opened her eyes, and immediately confirmed that Lexa actually woke up before her, for the first time since they had been reunited. As she rolled out of bed, she looked over to the clock on Lexa's bedside table to see that it was already eleven. That explained why Lexa woke up earlier. Deciding that she might as well go find out what her girlfriend was up to, she pulled on some clothes and headed out of the room.

She found Lexa sitting on the couch in the living room with her glasses perched atop her nose, reading one of the books she had gotten from the mall. She looked so adorable like that that Clarke really didn't want to disturb her, so she figured that she might as well get something that she could do while Lexa read. She quickly walked back to the bedroom before Lexa could notice her, heading over to the nightstand on the side of the bed that she usually slept closer to. She pulled open the drawer to grab the spare sketchpad and pencil that she had left for whenever she was here, as she had taken to spending most weekends over at Lexa's apartment anyway. Then, she walked back into the living room, settling on the couch opposite Lexa so as not to startle the other girl. For a minute, Clarke began to doubt Lexa even noticed her, but then the brunette slowly turned her head up, pulling herself away from her book, to greet her girlfriend. "Good morning, sleepyhead."

Clarke smiled. "Morning, Lex. I'm shocked that you actually woke up before me."

Lexa shrugged. "You slept in late. It's already eleven o'clock."

"True. I'll let you continue reading. I was just going to draw something anyway." Clarke held up the sketchpad for the other girl to see.

Lexa raised an eyebrow. "That exhibit at the aquarium that you really liked?"

"Something like that."

Lexa shot her a questioning glance, but Clarke made no move to elaborate. Lexa seemed to slowly realize that Clarke wasn't going to tell her what she intended to draw, so she turned her attention back to her book. Clarke felt a little bad for not telling the brunette, but she really wanted this to be a surprise. Lexa had been close, but Clarke intended to draw the other thing she had admired while at the aquarium – the beautiful girl that was prettier than any of the fish in the tanks.

Clarke simply looked up at Lexa, smiling when she realized that the brunette's face was changing as she read, clearly displaying the emotions that Clarke assumed the characters were feeling in the book. Clarke found it hard to tear her gaze away from her girlfriend when she was being so cute, but she forced herself to look back down at the blank page in front of her, beginning to move her pencil across it. She drew for a good hour, brow pulled down in deep concentration because she wanted this drawing to be absolutely perfect.

She worked hard to get every detail just how she wanted it, choosing to omit the hickey that was quite noticeable on Lexa's neck and opting to display the slight, almost imperceptible smile that Lexa wore when something in her book amused her. Clarke was just putting the finishing touches on her drawing, making the lines more defined, when Lexa's phone vibrated on the coffee table, and the brunette reached over to get it, unlocking it and looking at the screen for a moment. "It's Anya. Apparently, she and Lincoln were out at a party with your friends, and they're coming back now with Octavia and Raven."

"Oh. They didn't ask us to hang out," Clarke said, a little puzzled.

"They knew we had a date," Lexa assumed simply, and Clarke nodded. She should've been grateful that her friends had invited the Woods siblings out so that she and Lexa could have the apartment to themselves. She couldn't help but wonder if maybe they had done that intentionally. Clarke brought herself out of her thoughts when she noticed that Lexa was still watching her curiously. The blonde tilted her head to the side, silently asking Lexa what was on her mind, and Lexa immediately took the cue. "Are you going to show me what you've been working on over there?"

"Sure," Clarke said, flipping her sketchpad around so that Lexa could see the drawing that graced the page.

Clarke smiled at the small intake of breath that came from Lexa as she realized exactly what the blonde had been sketching that morning. Surprised green eyes turned back up to meet blue. "You drew me."

"You looked so beautiful over there that I couldn't resist," Clarke admitted honestly.

Lexa began to protest. "But I just rolled out of bed, Clarke. I don't even have any make-up on and—"

Clarke cut her off. "And you're beautiful. No questions asked. I like seeing you just as you are."

Lexa smiled warmly at her before suddenly shying. "Can I keep it?"

Clarke looked down at the drawing she had just created. It would definitely be hard to part with it, because she had drawn it to forever capture the way that Lexa had looked that morning. She pushed those thoughts away though, reminding herself that she was only giving it to Lexa, who she spent almost all her time with nowadays, so she would most definitely see it again. Besides, she could always just draw another. She was pretty sure the image was burned into her brain by now anyway. She passed the drawing to Lexa over the space in between the couches. "Of course you can."

Lexa looked down at the drawing with a look of pure admiration, and Clarke was proud of herself for drawing it if only to see that look on Lexa's face. The brunette opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by the sound of the door opening and the loud chatter of the people on the other side. Lexa placed the drawing on the coffee table as the others made their way into the living room to join them, and Octavia noticed it right away. "I see Clarke's been busy."

Clarke blushed. "That's none of your business."

"Wow, this is really good." Lincoln picked the drawing up to look at it.

"Yeah, we should like frame it or something," Anya agreed, looking over her brother's shoulder.

Clarke found that she did not really like all of the attention being on her drawing. She rarely ever showed anyone her artwork in general, but this drawing just felt more personal. It was a drawing of the girl she loved most in the world, and it felt like her friends were looking at a written declaration of her love for Lexa, instead of a simple drawing of the brunette girl that was sitting on the couch. She wasn't sure she wanted it framed either, for anyone who visited the apartment to see, unless that is what Lexa wanted of course. "It's for Lexa, not you. Put it down."

Lincoln placed it back on the table. "Sorry. You should draw me something next."

Clarke smiled up at him. She would gladly draw him something else that they could frame and put in their living room. "Sure thing, Linc."

Clarke was glad to hear that Lincoln wanted his own drawing. It proved to her that he was just amazed by her artistic ability, and he couldn't see every emotion that Clarke had poured into the piece. She was sure he could see that she really cared about the subject because she had obviously put a lot of time into it, but Clarke breathed easier knowing that the people around her couldn't see everything that she felt for Lexa displayed within the artwork on the table.

Anya sank down on the couch beside Clarke. "So how was your night alone in the apartment?"

Clarke gave Anya a knowing look. "You guys planned this on purpose, didn't you? You knew Lexa and I were going on a date, and you made sure that you were both out of the apartment by the time we got back so we could have some time to ourselves."

"Well, yeah. We all wanted you two to have some alone time," Raven said, before adding, "Plus, there was a really cool party going on, and Bellamy is friends with the guy who was throwing it, so they said we could crash there."

Clarke shook her head. "Of course you didn't even think to invite _me_ to this cool party."

Raven narrowed her eyes at the blonde. "Like you would've even come if we asked you to. I'm sure you guys had way more fun here. What'd you guys get up to?"

Clarke blushed a little in embarrassment, because Raven knew full well what they had done with no one else in the apartment, and she knew the other girl just wanted to see her squirm. Clarke had no desire to recount her sexual endeavors with Lexa, so she decided to talk about the date instead, but Anya started speaking before Clarke could even open her mouth. "Well, judging by the sizable hickey on my sister's neck, we can all see for ourselves what they've been up to."

Clarke's blush deepened, having completely forgotten about the mark she had left on Lexa's neck, the mark she hadn't even thought to warn Lexa to cover up. She watched as her girlfriend's brow furrowed in confusion, hoping the brunette wouldn't be angry with her. Lexa pulled out her phone, and the others, minus Clarke, laughed as she turned it to selfie mode and looked at her neck. "Clarke! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I forgot. I was drawing, and then I didn't think…" Clarke stammered, trailing off as she looked down at her feet.

Lexa calmed down immediately, clearly sensing that the blonde thought that she would be mad. "It's fine, Clarke. It's not like they didn't know anyway. I mean, what else were we going to do? Have a tea party?"

Clarke breathed a sigh of relief that her girlfriend was not angry with her, but she only had a moment to be relieved before Anya spoke up. "Hey, you never know. I remember you guys having lots of tea parties when you were younger."

Everyone burst out laughing, and Clarke couldn't help but laugh along. Anya had a point, even if it was silly to compare that to now.

"Yeah, when we were six." Lexa huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, but Clarke knew her girlfriend was trying hard not to laugh, the corners of the brunette's lips turning up into a smile. As Clarke looked around the apartment, she remembered how nervous she had been the first time that she brought her friends to meet the Woods siblings, afraid that they would not get along. Clarke could obviously see now that she had nothing to worry about. They all got along better than she could've ever imagined.

* * *

Clarke sank further into the couch, pressing the buttons on the controller to aim and shoot her gun. She, Lexa, Anya, and Raven had decided to play Call of Duty. Well, more like Lexa, Anya, and Raven decided. Clarke had to admit she was not very good at the game and had strongly suggested they play something else, but the other three wanted to play Call of Duty and could not be swayed. Anya had the volume of the game turned up unnecessarily loud due to the fact that Lincoln and Octavia had disappeared into the bedroom some time ago, and she did not want to be able to hear anything. Clarke found it rather obnoxious as the gunshot sounds rang in her ears, but she supposed it was better than the other sounds that she could be hearing right now.

Despite her terrible performance in the game, Clarke smiled at how great this year was going so far. She had been reunited with the people that she considered family, and she had gotten the most amazing girlfriend. She couldn't have asked for a better start to college, and she was definitely looking forward to the rest of it. She wondered if Anya and Lincoln would stay in the apartment after college. She seriously hoped so, because she was not ready to lose them again so soon. She was jolted out of her daydreaming when she was shot in the back while running down a stairwell, leaving her lifeless body to slide slowly down the steps.

"Lexa," she whined, Lexa snickering beside her.

"Sorry. You were in my way," Lexa claimed, guiding her character past Clarke's dead one.

"You're not sorry at all." Clarke's face settled into a frown as she respawned. "You probably tracked me down on purpose."

Lexa shrugged. "That's the game, Clarke. We're supposed to kill each other. You're perfectly welcome to kill me...if you can."

Clarke scoffed. Lexa knew fully well how unlikely it was that Clarke would actually be able to kill her. The brunette owned the game and had actually played it enough to get good at it. Clarke had only played it once or twice at Octavia and Bellamy's house, but she'd never been great at it. She tried to focus hard, and after getting shot by Anya and Raven a few times, Clarke began to get some actual kills. It was nearing the end of the game, but Clarke had nine kills, which meant that she only needed one more kill to reach a double digit kill score for the first time in the seven games that they had played thus far. She also needed one more kill to get her first care package. She had seen all three of the others get care packages, and she found them to be quite cool. Determined to finally get one for herself, she chose a spot to sit and wait. When she saw Raven's character run by obliviously, she was just about to shoot at her when she was shot from behind by none other than her girlfriend.

"Lex _a_ ," Clarke complained, elbowing Lexa hard in the side, "stop killing me. I was just about to get to ten kills."

Lexa let out a pained gasp when Clarke elbowed her, immediately moving her hand to clutch at her side. Clarke's eyes widened, and she set down her controller, immediately concerned. She didn't think she had elbowed Lexa hard enough to hurt her, but clearly she was wrong. "Lexa, are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

Lexa nodded with a pained expression in her eyes, and Clarke instantly sprang into doctor mode.

"Move your hands. Let me see." Clarke moved Lexa's hands away from her side.

Clarke was just about to lift Lexa's shirt up to look for a bruise when she felt her hands being stilled. She looked up at the brunette with confused blue eyes and watched as a smirk spread across the other girl's face.

"I'm fine, Clarke," Lexa said, "I was only pretending."

"Lexa, why the hell would you do that?" Clarke huffed, pushing her away. "I thought I actually hurt you."

"I did it because you said that you wanted ten kills, and well, the game's over now, so better luck next time," Lexa explained, laughing a little.

Clarke looked to the TV screen where the game was in fact over. The scores were displayed with Anya coming in first and Clarke in dead last with nine kills. One shy of her ten kill goal.

"Damn it, Lexa." Clarke crossed her arms. "You're so mean."

"I'm sorry. How about I give you something to make up for it?" Lexa asked, not looking apologetic at all.

Clarke simply raised an eyebrow at Lexa, and the brunette took this as a sign that she should continue. Clarke watched silently as an object was pressed into her hands, and she looked down to see that it was a key. She turned back up to look at Lexa, confused for the second time that day. "What is it?"

Lexa smiled teasingly. "The key to my heart."

Anya rolled her eyes. "Clarke had the key to your heart the day you two met. Now, will you stop being cheesy so we can start another game?"

"Wait. I'll be serious," Lexa said, and turned back to Clarke, the playful look gone from her green eyes. "It's the key to the apartment. You already spend most of your time here anyway, so I thought that you might as well have the key. That way, you can open the door on your own just in case you ever come here, and nobody is home. I wouldn't want you to have walked all this way for nothing. And, you know, maybe after this year, when your time in the dorms is up, you could move in for real."

"Really?" Clarke asked, in shock. She could honestly say that she hadn't been expecting that at all.

"As long as you don't mind sharing a bedroom with me," Lexa flirted.

A wide grin spread across Clarke's face. "You know I'll never mind sharing a bed with you, Lex."

"Are we playing again or not?" Anya asked impatiently, as Clarke leaned over to kiss Lexa on the cheek, feeling like she was about to burst with happiness. She almost couldn't believe what had just happened. Lexa had asked her to move in with her, and Clarke couldn't think of anything she'd rather do. She loved the brunette sitting next to her more than anything, and she was definitely ready to take this next step with her, even if it wouldn't officially happen until the end of the year.

At that moment, Octavia and Lincoln appeared in the doorway, finally returning from their activities in the bedroom. Lincoln raised his eyebrows at the scene in front of him. "What are you whining about now, Anya? From the looks of the screen, you won, so I don't know what you could possibly have to be upset about."

"Clarke and Lexa are being all gross and making us wait to play another game," Anya explained, finally turning down the volume to a more bearable level.

"I'd be happy to play," Lincoln offered.

"Too late, Linc. We were here first, so you'll have to wait." Lexa stuck her tongue out at him.

"Actually, you can have mine," Clarke said, handing him the controller. "I'm awful at this game anyway."

"Well, what about me?" Octavia demanded. She glanced over at Raven, expecting her best friend to give up her controller.

Raven shook her head. "Don't look at me, O. I'm not giving mine up."

After the news she had just received from her girlfriend, Clarke did not want to sit in the room and play or watch the others play video games any longer. She wanted to do other things that involved her girlfriend, which gave her an idea. "Maybe Lexa will give you hers."

Clarke laughed as she watched Octavia turn her hopeful hazel eyes to Lexa, who immediately shot Clarke a look of hurt.

"No," Lexa whined. "I'm still playing."

"Give it to Octavia, and we can go break in _our_ new bedroom properly." Clarke winked at her, and Lexa suddenly seemed to think handing off her controller to Octavia was not such a bad idea. She sprung off the couch, practically shoving her controller at the other brunette, as she eagerly followed Clarke to the bedroom. Clarke laughed as she heard Anya grumbling under her breath behind them as she turned the volume of the game back up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I just wanted to let you guys know that this story will be ending soon. Right now, I'm thinking that there will be two more chapters and then an epilogue. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter, and thank you all for reading!


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone. Happy Sunday! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Enjoy!

Wednesday night, after Clarke's biology class, she headed back to her dorm room. She wished she could say she was heading back to get some much needed rest, but she knew that she still needed to do her literature essay that was due by tomorrow at midnight. She groaned when she thought about it. She had been studying all week for the biology test she had just taken, and she really wished she could just go back to her room and relax. She also hadn't seen Lexa since last weekend due to this incessant studying, which made her even grouchier than she already would've been anyway. When she finally reached the door to her dorm room, she pushed it open, not even bothering to say anything to her roommates as she flopped down onto her bed.

"Long day?" she heard Octavia ask from behind her.

"How was your test?" Raven asked.

Clarke rolled over to face them. "Good. I think I aced it, and I am totally happy to be done studying for it, but I still have to do an essay for my literature class."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "You don't look like you're in any mood to write an essay. Why don't you just do it tomorrow?"

"Because it's due tomorrow at midnight," Clarke said exasperatedly. "I'll have classes tomorrow, and I don't want to have to do it at the last second."

Octavia gave her a knowing look. "Because you want to spend time with Lexa?"

Clarke rolled her eyes, but there was no denying that they had caught her. She had missed Lexa in the time she had spent apart from her this week, even though it was short. Now that Lexa was her girlfriend, she wanted to spend time with the brunette every day, and she wished that she didn't have school as a necessary priority. The blonde found that she couldn't wait until she was able to move out of the dorm rooms and move in with Lexa, because then she would never have to spend a day apart from the brunette, even if she had to spend most of the day doing homework and studying. Right now, nothing sounded better than that.

"Yes, I want to spend time with Lexa," Clarke responded to her roommate. "I haven't seen her in forever, and it's kind of driving me insane."

Raven looked at her skeptically. "You haven't seen her in three days. You've gone a lot longer without her before."

Clarke huffed, crossing her arms. "Yeah, but it's different now."

"Different how?" Raven wiggled her eyebrows.

Clarke threw her pillow across the room at the brunette. "I just don't like being apart from her, so if I want to see her tomorrow, I better get to work."

"Okay, but I'm keeping your pillow," Raven claimed, putting the pillow atop hers on her bed.

Clarke just rolled her eyes as she pulled her laptop off of her desk, so she could sit on her bed and work on her essay. She would have to make sure to get the pillow back from her annoying roommate before she went to bed, since that was the only one she had, but it would have to wait for now. She really needed to get started on her essay if she wanted to spend any time with Lexa the next day.

After pulling up the assignment, she grabbed the book that her class had just read and opened it up, flipping through the pages to try to come up with a topic for the essay. The only problem was that she hadn't really paid that much attention to the book, so she didn't really feel like she knew it well enough. In that moment, she found herself wishing that she had done more than just skim over the chapters when the reading was assigned in class. She knew she would actually have to read through some of it though if she didn't want to completely fail the essay, so she settled back to read the book, trying to find something that she could write about.

* * *

Clarke hadn't found anything to write. She woke up the next morning to find that her word document, which she had opened to start the essay, was still blank, and she knew she must have fallen asleep trying to read through the book for some sort of idea. She grumbled under her breath about the fact that Octavia and Raven hadn't even bothered to wake her up when they knew that she needed to finish the essay, but Octavia was already gone, and Raven was still asleep, so she couldn't confront the two of them about it.

After her morning classes, Clarke was sitting at the coffee shop, sipping her coffee as she checked her emails, feeling rather bored. Her face brightened when she saw one from her professor saying that her afternoon class was canceled, so she would have more time to finish her essay. Clarke didn't even care to think about why her professor may have canceled a class with such short notice. However, she didn't _want_ to go back to her boring dorm room, or even work on her essay at all. She just wanted to forget about the assignment and hang out with Lexa. Still, she knew that she had to do the essay, and Lexa was in class at the moment anyway. Figuring it might give her some motivation, she decided to head over to Lexa's apartment, and she vowed that she would have her essay finished by the time the brunette returned from class.

* * *

Clarke did not finish the essay before Lexa returned. When she first got to the apartment, she found that no one was there, so she used her brand new key to let herself in, extremely glad that Lexa had given it to her. Once inside, she went straight into Lexa's bedroom and climbed atop the bed. She slowly sipped the rest of her coffee, telling herself that she was trying to think of a good idea for her essay before she could begin, but she knew she was just stalling for time since she had absolutely no idea what to write. Once she finished her coffee, she knew that she needed to start writing something, but she ended up getting distracted by notifications on her phone. She resolved to simply check them out quickly and then get started on her assignment, but she ended up wasting at least a half an hour. She checked the clock on Lexa's nightstand, realizing that the brunette would be back soon and that she needed to get started if she wanted to be even close to finishing the stupid thing before her girlfriend returned. She forced herself to open up a word document on her laptop so that she could begin to write something, wishing that she could light Lexa's candles while she worked. She had to admit that the scent was soothing, and she was certainly stressed right now. She didn't think the brunette would mind, but she didn't want to waste something that her girlfriend cared about so much, so she resolved to work without them.

After fifteen minutes of staring at a blank screen, trying desperately to come up with an idea, and after reading a few summaries on Google, Clarke actually began to type, starting to finally begin to write her essay. She knew that it most likely was trash, but she also knew that she had to write something if she wanted to spend time with Lexa later, and she did. She really did. She also knew that it would definitely be better than not turning in anything at all. She had written two paragraphs when she heard the door to the apartment open, and seconds later, Lexa was walking into her room. The brunette jumped in surprise at the sight of someone sitting on her bed, but she instantly relaxed when she realized that it was only Clarke. The blonde smiled up at her, overjoyed to see the brunette, even though she hadn't made much progress on her essay. "Hey, Lexie. Did I scare you?"

Lexa sighed, knowing that there was no way she could lie after the way that she had so clearly jumped. "A little. I guess I'll have to get used to it now that you have the key too." Lexa paused for a second before the corners of her lips pulled down in a confused frown. "But what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in class right now?"

Clarke nodded. "I am, but my class got canceled, so I came over here to start working on some homework."

Lexa shrugged off her backpack, climbing onto the bed beside the blonde. "And how is this homework going?"

Clarke groaned. "It's not. I'm supposed to be writing an essay, but I barely even paid attention to the book, so my essay is kind of bullshit right now."

"And the book is _Fahrenheit 451_?" Lexa held up the book that was lying next to the blonde.

"Yes. I hate general education courses. When am I ever going to use the knowledge of what happened in this book as a doctor?" Clarke asked grumpily. She couldn't help being a little upset by the fact that she had to take a course on something that she would probably never use again in her life.

"You're not. It's the knowledge of how to write an essay that you will use," Lexa explained calmly. "I think that everyone should know how to write well, even if you don't use it on a daily basis. You never know when you might want to write a research paper or an article or something."

Clarke had to admit that she saw the point in what her girlfriend was saying, but she still didn't understand why she had to write essays about boring books instead of something scientific that she might actually have a chance of using. "I guess, but writing it about books isn't helping. I haven't ever enjoyed reading that much. Books are just a waste of time. The only ones I ever really liked were the _Harry Potter_ series."

"Yeah, right. You were totally into the _P_ _ercy Jackson_ series as well," Lexa reminded her knowingly, "and I seem to remember someone who had a whole bookshelf of books in her room that she treated like her most prized possessions."

Clarke rolled her eyes. "Fine. So I liked reading a lot more when I was younger, but not anymore. Especially not the books we have to read in school. They're so boring."

Lexa gasped, her mouth hanging open in mock hurt. "I'll have you know that _Fahrenheit 451_ is one of my favorite books."

Clarke snatched the book away from her. "Well, I need to continue my riveting essay on your favorite book then, so if you'll allow me."

Clarke had barely turned her attention back to the screen for five seconds before Lexa was speaking again. "What does the essay have to be about?"

"It can be about anything." Clarke rolled her eyes at the thought. She got why teachers did that, so as not to limit students' creative abilities by forcing them to write about one topic. Also, if she were a teacher, she knew she wouldn't want to read a bunch of essays that were basically the same. The problem was that leaving the topic open to students just made it all the more difficult for Clarke, because then she had to think of something on her own before she could even begin her paper. How was she supposed to come up with a good topic for her essay when she didn't even care about the book she was supposed to be writing it on? However, she knew that her time was slowly running out, and she needed to get back to work if she wanted to finish it in time. "It's due tonight, so I really need to get started."

Lexa took the computer off of her lap and transferred it into her own. "Lucky for you, I love the book so much that I'm willing to write this essay for you."

Clarke turned hopeful eyes up to Lexa. "Really?"

Lexa gave her a small smile. "Of course. It won't take me long. I promise."

Clarke was ecstatic to finally have the weight of the essay taken off her back, and she knew that Lexa was a fabulous writer, so she would easily get an A on the paper. After a few seconds, she felt bad for feeling so eager to let Lexa do her work for her. The brunette probably had her own homework to get started on, and she shouldn't have to sit there and write Clarke's essay for her. The blonde shook her head and reached to take the laptop back. "Lexa, you don't have to do this. It's my homework. You shouldn't have to write my essay for me."

Lexa raised an eyebrow at the blonde. "Do you want a good grade on this paper or not? You've procrastinated too long to do anything about it yourself, especially if you don't even care about the book. I want to help you, so I'm fine with writing it for you."

Clarke stopped trying to get the computer away from Lexa, but she didn't remove her hands from it. "If I let you do this, you have to let me do some of your homework for you. I remember you telling me you were struggling with chemistry. Do you have any chemistry homework I can do for you?"

Lexa looked skeptical before nodding slowly. "Yes. But how will I understand how to do the problems if I don't do the homework?"

"I'll get you through the long boring homework process and explain it to you later. I can probably explain it much quicker than you would take to do the homework anyway."

Lexa shrugged, knowing that Clarke was right, so she grabbed her own laptop off of the nightstand, logging on. Clarke watched as the brunette brought up the website that her homework was on, starting the assignment before handing the computer to Clarke. The blonde's eyes bugged out when she saw that there were 46 problems for her to do, and she really wanted to complain, but she knew she couldn't. She had literally asked for this, and Lexa was doing her essay for her, so she needed to suck it up and power through the questions. Plus, she knew she would have no problem with chemistry, and she quickly remembered how fun she had found the subject in high school as she began to breeze through the problems.

Lexa finished the essay in two hours, and it didn't take Clarke much longer than that to finish up the chemistry problems. The brunette simply sat and watched as Clarke cranked through the last few problems, and then they exchanged laptops, each wearing triumphant and satisfied grins on their faces. Clarke scrolled through her essay, reading a bit of what Lexa had written, and she knew the quality of this paper was far above anything that she would ever write in her lifetime. She quickly turned it in before she forgot, and she felt much more relaxed now that the essay that had been looming over her head for days was finally done. "Thanks, Lex. It feels so good to finally have that thing over with. I'll definitely come straight to you next time I have a stupid essay to write."

"That's completely fine, Clarke, but maybe you could tell me a little earlier next time so that I can actually help you write it instead of writing the whole thing myself." Lexa winked at her.

Clarke couldn't help but wince a bit at the brunette's words, even though she knew the other girl didn't mean them in a rude way. "Yeah. I'm really sorry about that. But I did do your homework for you, and I bet you're happy too because of how many problems that thing was."

"I honestly don't even know how you got through it so fast. It normally takes me at least twice as long to finish it."

Clarke smiled smugly, proud of herself for being able to finish it so quickly and impress Lexa. The brunette had definitely impressed her with her essay-writing skills, so Clarke liked that she was able to impress her girlfriend as well. "I got through it so fast because I remembered learning a lot of it in high school. I mean, when I first saw how many problems it was, I kind of regretted what I had gotten myself into, but when I started working on it, I found that it was honestly kind of fun."

Lexa gave her a bewildered look. "Chemistry? Fun?"

Clarke shot a knowing look right back at her girlfriend. "Don't even try and tell me you didn't have fun writing that awful essay."

"It wasn't awful. It was fun," Lexa argued, not even trying to deny it.

"Right. Literature is boring."

"Chemistry is boring!"

"I see we have reached an impasse. I don't know if I can date a girl who thinks that science is boring." Clarke stood up from the bed with a teasing grin.

"And I don't know if I can date a girl who thinks that reading is boring." Lexa crossed her arms over her chest, playing right along.

Clarke smiled wider, making her way around the bed to Lexa's side and pressing a kiss to the brunette's lips. "Can you date a girl who doesn't like reading now?"

Lexa looked up at her thoughtfully. "I might need a little more convincing."

Clarke easily obliged, leaning in again and lingering a bit longer before pulling back the slightest bit to press her forehead against Lexa's. "How about now?"

Lexa didn't respond. She simply pulled Clarke's lips back to hers again, and Clarke climbed onto the bed to straddle her girlfriend. She sighed into the kiss, having missed this a lot in the days she had spent away from the beautiful girl in front of her. She knew that she should probably start to explain the chemistry to Lexa, as she had promised to do, before it got too late, but she couldn't bring herself to pull away. She decided to simply relish the way that her lips moved against Lexa's now, while she could, because she knew Anya and Lincoln wouldn't be out for much longer.


	22. Chapter 22

About a week later, Clarke and Lexa were out at a local Italian restaurant having dinner when Clarke realized that she had not yet invited Lexa to Thanksgiving at her parents' house. That was, if the brunette would even want to go. Clarke didn't know if the Woods siblings had plans to go home for the holiday or not, but she seriously hoped not because she would love it if she would be able to spend the day with her girlfriend. When they were younger, they would always alternate whose house they would celebrate Thanksgiving at, but this year it would be easiest to just have it at Clarke's house since Lexa's parents lived further away now. Besides, her mother had already extended invitations to Raven and the Blakes, as she had taken to doing every year, and they had all confirmed that they would go. Last night, Abby had called Clarke up and asked her to extend the invitation to Lexa's family as well, and Clarke knew she needed to ask Lexa before it was too late.

Clarke tuned back into the conversation to find Lexa talking about how real candles would be so much better to have in the restaurant than the fake candles that were on the tables, and Clarke politely waited for her to finish, pretending she had been listening all along and feeling a bit bad that she hadn't been. She normally couldn't get enough of listening to Lexa, but tonight she was distracted by the question that she knew she needed to ask. She knew she shouldn't be nervous about it. If Lexa couldn't make it, it was no big deal, but Clarke couldn't help but want to spend their first Thanksgiving together as a couple actually being together. Clarke realized that she had stopped paying attention to Lexa again, and when she focused her eyes back onto the brunette, she realized that Lexa had stopped talking.

"I agree. Real candles would make for a more romantic atmosphere," Clarke said, and Lexa nodded her agreement. Clarke nervously cleared her throat. She didn't know why it mattered so much to her, but she really didn't want Lexa to say no. "So my mom is having my friends over for Thanksgiving this year, and she wanted me to ask you guys if you wanted to come as well. Unless you already have plans, that is."

"No. We don't. We were actually just trying to figure out what we wanted to do for Thanksgiving the other day. Lincoln was thinking of trying to prepare a mini feast for us, but when Anya said she'd help out, we vetoed that idea," Lexa explained, and Clarke chuckled, knowing that Anya was a terrible cook. Whenever she had tried to prepare something when they were younger, she normally burnt it, and one time, she had even started a small fire in a frying pan while trying to make an omelet. Clarke could tell by the look on Lexa's face that Anya was no better of a cook now than when she was younger.

"So you'll come?" Clarke asked hopefully, realizing that Lexa hadn't actually given her an answer to her question.

"I mean, I'll have to ask Anya and Lincoln, but I'm sure they'll say yes. I'd love to go," Lexa told her girlfriend.

"Great." Clarke wiggled in excitement. She couldn't wait to celebrate Thanksgiving with the one person she was most thankful for in the world. She was really glad that Lexa would most likely be able to go because she really couldn't imagine spending the holiday without her. She noticed that Lexa was looking pretty excited too, although Clarke couldn't tell if her girlfriend's excitement stemmed from the thought of celebrating the holiday together or simply from the fact that Clarke herself was so excited about it. That was one of the things Clarke loved most about Lexa. Whenever the blonde was excited about something, Lexa shared that excitement, and whenever Clarke was sad, Lexa was not happy either. Clarke tried her best to do the same for the other girl, and she was finding it easier with each passing day.

"So will Thanksgiving still be the same as I remember it?" Lexa pulled Clarke out of her thoughts.

"Actually no. We have apple pie now as well as pumpkin pie because Raven doesn't like the pumpkin, and my mom started making these delicious sweet potatoes…" Lexa listened intently as Clarke explained any differences to the feast from when they were kids, and then Clarke told a few Thanksgiving stories that she and her friends had shared. Lexa didn't mind listening to the blonde talk, loving the way her blue eyes sparkled as she recounted each memory, and the brunette found that she was really looking forward to making some new memories with Clarke.

When the bill came after dinner, Lexa pulled her credit card from her wallet and reached for it, but before her fingers could close around the black bill holder, Clarke snatched it out of her grasp. "Lexa, it's my turn to pay this time."

"No, it is not," Lexa argued, grabbing for it again.

The blonde pulled it back out of her reach. "Oh, really? I distinctly remember you paying when we went to dinner last week."

"Yes, but you paid for my groceries yesterday when we were at the store," Lexa pointed out.

Clarke scoffed at her. "Yeah. Because you forgot your wallet. Plus, they were only twenty dollars."

Lexa held out her hand. "Clarke, please let me do this. I'm letting your mom feed me at Thanksgiving."

Clarke sighed, knowing that she would never win this argument, and she reluctantly handed the bill over to Lexa. She couldn't believe the ridiculous lengths that the brunette would go to to pay for her girlfriend, but she'd be lying if she said that she didn't secretly swoon over the gesture. There were so many small moments like this each day in which Clarke found herself falling more and more in love with her girlfriend, and she knew that she never wanted to let the other girl go again.

* * *

That Thursday, Clarke had been at home with her parents all day, helping to prepare the food. When all of her friends and her girlfriend arrived, she let them into the house, directing them into the living room to sit down while she helped her parents finish up with the dinner preparations. When everything was almost done, Clarke quickly set the table, and Abby and Jake began putting the side dishes out as Clarke went over to where the others were waiting to invite them into the dining room. "Okay, guys. You can come sit down now."

Seconds later, Octavia, Bellamy, Raven, Anya, Lincoln, and Lexa followed Clarke to the table, taking their seats as they looked appreciatively at the food, commenting on how good it looked. Clarke chose a seat right next to her girlfriend, and she beamed up at the brunette that she loved more than anything, grabbing onto her hand under the table and hoping that Anya, who was sitting on the other side of Lexa, wouldn't comment on it.

Once the side dishes were all set up, Abby paused in the doorway. "You guys can start filling your plates. Jake and I are just going to finish preparing the turkey, and we'll be right in."

Once they were gone, Clarke grabbed a roll from the basket that was on the table because the rolls were her favorite item at the feast, and she was about to reach for some stuffing when Raven lobbed a bit of mashed potatoes at her arm. It missed, falling onto the tablecloth, and Clarke gaped at her, ready to chide her for being so childish at the dinner table that her parents would soon be returning to, but Raven's actions gave Clarke an idea, so she simply wiped up Raven's mess with a napkin. She noticed Raven's face fall at the fact that Clarke had not complained or retaliated in any way, but Clarke almost didn't even notice. She was already reaching for the mashed potatoes herself, taking out a spoonful and acting as if she were about to put it on Lexa's plate. Her girlfriend smiled at her, gratefully accepting the food, but at the last second, Clarke quickly dumped it onto her lap instead, smirking to make it clear that it wasn't an accident. "Oops."

Lexa didn't even say anything. She just sat in stony silence, grabbing her own spoonful of potatoes and putting it on her plate, going on as if nothing had happened. For a second, Clarke thought that her girlfriend just might be furious with her, and she wondered if she had gone too far. She was just about to apologize when Lexa grabbed a handful from the mashed potatoes that were now on her plate and smeared it right across Clarke's unsuspecting face. "Lexa!"

"That's what happens when you dump potatoes on me," Lexa said with a smirk.

"That's it." Clarke wiped her face with her napkin and grabbed another spoonful. The brunette's eyes widened when Clarke flung the potatoes off the spoon and in her direction. Lexa quickly pushed her chair back to get out of the line of fire, and the potatoes sailed right past her, landing on Anya's shirt.

Anya narrowed her eyes at Clarke. "Can we grow up?"

Clarke wanted to scoff and point out that Anya never acted grown up, but the older girl contradicted her own statement before Clarke could even open her mouth, reaching for the gravy. Clarke winced, knowing that this substance would be much harder to clean than mashed potatoes since it was liquid, but luckily, that was the exact moment that Clarke's parents reentered the room, carrying a platter with the turkey on it and foiling Anya's plans to get back at Clarke. Anya reached past the gravy to grab a roll, her movement looking completely natural, but Clarke knew that on the inside, she was seething at the fact that she had missed her opportunity to get the younger girl back. Lexa had already wiped up the potatoes that had landed on her lap, but she quickly grabbed a new napkin to cover the obvious mark they had made on her pants. Luckily, Clarke had already gotten the mashed potatoes off of her face as well, but everyone had to bite back their laughter when Jake pointed at the potato patch on Anya's shirt. "What happened there?"

Clarke answered for her, not being able to stop herself from embarrassing the other girl further. "Anya dropped some potatoes on her shirt. She's a bit of a messy eater."

Jake simply chuckled, and Anya shot Clarke a death glare. Clarke simply continued to fill her plate, not afraid of the other girl since they were in front of her parents. Clarke knew that Anya would not have stopped until she had embarrassed the younger girl if they had been on their own, but she also knew that Anya would not make a move against her in front of her parents. The older girl always liked to pretend to be extremely sweet and kind when she was around Clarke's parents, and it had always been frustrating when Jake and Abby wouldn't believe the stories that Clarke used to tell them about the things that Anya had done because of this fake good behavior. Clarke was sure that Anya only did it to get on her nerves, and she could see that the older blonde was going to continue doing it now. Clarke was grateful for it though at the moment because it saved her from having gravy thrown all over her.

Once everyone's plate was filled, they began the meal, and Clarke had a great time talking and laughing with all her friends. She especially loved the fact that Lexa was right beside her, and she was glad for what felt like the millionth time that night that the brunette had been able to come. She looked at the people sitting around the table and realized how thankful she actually was for each and every one of them. They all got along like one big family, and Clarke smiled at the thought.

Once most of the food was gone, Raven pulled the stuffing over towards her. Since Clarke had been just about to reach for seconds, she immediately raised an eyebrow at her friend. "You're going to eat the rest of the stuffing?"

"Yes," Raven proclaimed.

"No," Clarke argued. "I was just about to get some more. Besides, there's still a lot left. No way are you eating that all by yourself."

Raven nodded seriously, and Clarke knew that she wasn't going to get anymore of the delicious food item if she didn't try a different tactic. "I bet I can eat more than you."

"Oh, really? You're on. Whoever eats the most spoonfuls wins," Raven declared. "And I don't mean using your spoon. Each spoonful of the big serving spoon counts as one spoonful."

Clarke was glad that her new approach had worked, but this flared her competitive side, and she knew she was going to take this challenge seriously. Anya joined the challenge pretty quickly, and Bellamy and Lexa couldn't resist joining as well. Octavia, Lincoln, Jake, and Abby watched on in amusement, and no one was surprised when soon, the stuffing was all gone. Anya won the challenge with four spoonfuls, and Clarke groaned in indignation, having only been behind her by one.

Anya smiled smugly. "That's for earlier, blondie."

Clarke crossed her arms at the fact that Anya had gotten her back for earlier when Clarke had been so sure that she wouldn't be able to, but she suddenly felt a lot less grumpy when Lexa's fingers threaded through hers, successfully calming her. She found that she didn't care that she had lost the mini contest anymore as her parents brought out the pies.

* * *

Everyone left after dessert and the traditional movie, and Clarke and Lexa headed up to Clarke's room soon after they had gone. Clarke was staying with her parents for the weekend, and Jake and Abby had decided to ask Lexa to spend the night. The brunette graciously accepted their offer, and Clarke was trying to calm her nerves now as she led Lexa to her bedroom. The brunette hadn't been in Clarke's room since they were ten, and while some things were still the same, many were different. It felt weird somehow to bring Lexa into her newer room. Now that the other girl was back, it felt like they should be going into Clarke's old bedroom on their old street, but Clarke brushed the thought aside. The way she saw Lexa now was much different from how she saw her back then, so she guessed it was only fitting that she have a new bedroom now.

When they entered the room, Lexa barely even looked at what was different because she was too preoccupied with what was the same. Hanging above her bed was a picture that Lexa had drawn for her when they were in kindergarten, the first picture that either of them had ever drawn of Princess Clarke and Commander Lexa. In the drawing, the two of them were holding hands in front of a castle, and it was this drawing that caught and held Lexa's eye from the very moment Clarke switched on the lights. Lexa pointed up at it, as if Clarke wasn't already looking. "You still have this?"

Clarke was surprised that Lexa would even ask that. "Of course. You made it for me. I could never get rid of it."

Lexa raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't expecting you to have thrown it away. I just didn't expect you to still have it hanging over your bed after all these years."

Clarke blushed, a little embarrassed by her own sentimentality. "It was one of the only pieces of you I had left. I love it because I love you, and I intend to have it hanging over my bed until the day I die."

"Well, I don't know how I feel about having a picture that I drew in kindergarten hanging over my bed for the rest of my life," Lexa said, chuckling, "but I suppose I could make it work."

Clarke smiled at Lexa's admission that she would want to spend the rest of her life with the blonde, and she pulled her girlfriend in for a kiss, very much wanting the same thing. Lexa reciprocated the kiss, but when Clarke tried to turn it more heated, Lexa pulled away, flopping down on the bed. Clarke gave her a puzzled frown, and Lexa was quick to explain herself. "It's not that I don't want to kiss you, Clarke, but I don't want to start anything when your parents could walk in at any moment."

Clarke laid out on the bed beside her, completely understanding the other girl's logic and agreeing with her. "Yeah. That makes sense. Wanna cuddle?"

Lexa's response was an arm snaking around Clarke's waist and pulling her closer so that her head rested against the brunette's chest. She could easily hear Lexa's heartbeat, and she was almost lulled to sleep by the sound, still in a bit of a food coma from earlier.

"I'm so full," she groaned.

"Same," Lexa agreed, and Clarke burrowed further into her.

Clarke was content to just lie with Lexa, but she didn't want the other girl to get bored, so she decided to offer something else. "We can watch a bit of TV if you want to."

Lexa shook her head. "I'd rather just lie here with you."

Clarke was glad that her girlfriend responded in this manner because she knew that that was what she wanted to do as well. She was content to just sit in this peaceful silence with the girl she loved and just be, and she realized how lucky she was to have Lexa. Clarke had many things to be thankful for this year, but the best by far was Lexa, and she could only hope that she would have the chance to be thankful for Lexa for many, many years to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we've reached the end of this story. I hope you all have enjoyed the ride, and I'm glad that so many people were interested in this story. There will be an epilogue, which I am hoping to post on Sunday, so I hope you will like the way that I decide to end things. Thank you all for reading!


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Sunday, everyone! Here is the epilogue of Into the Woods, as promised. It feels so weird to be ending this story lol. It has been an amazing journey. Thank you for all your support, for your favorites, follows, and reviews, and for just reading the story. You guys are all amazing, and I have loved sharing this story with you. I hope you like the way I've decided to end it! For the last time, enjoy!

Epilogue

Three and a Half Years Later

Clarke bobbed up and down in the waves, enjoying the cool ocean breeze that was hitting her cheeks. Her friends were floating all around her, and she finally felt at ease. She, Octavia, Raven, and Lexa had spent all week studying and preparing for finals, and now that the tests were all over, Clarke felt like she could finally breathe a sigh of relief. It felt crazy to be done with her senior year of college, but it also felt amazing to be getting to the next part of her life. Even though Clarke still needed to go for her PhD, she was excited about being that much closer to becoming a doctor. However, school was tiresome, and she found herself a bit burnt out from this year, so she was just happy for the fact that she would have the rest of the summer to recover.

The sun beat down overhead, and Clarke thought that it was a perfect day to be in the ocean. Everyone else seemed to agree, as they were all enjoying the water around her. Well, everyone except Lexa and Anya. They were still lying out on towels on the beach, trying to get a tan. _Or avoiding the ocean,_ Clarke thought. She had gone to the beach with Lexa enough times to know that the brunette didn't like being in the water. The rest of the group had started out by tanning, but after an hour or so, everyone was ready to go swimming, and Clarke couldn't say she was opposed. She knew that Anya was just staying with Lexa because she didn't want to leave her sister all alone and that she had no real desire to remain on the beach. Clarke would've stayed on the beach with her girlfriend instead, but she knew from experience that Lexa would just tell her to go with the others and have fun. Clarke wouldn't be having much fun, however, until she was back by Lexa's side.

The blonde realized that she was just staring up the beach at Lexa, and she shook her head, trying to turn her attention back to her friends as she saw Raven swimming towards her. "I'm so glad we're finally done with our finals."

Clarke couldn't help but give an emphatic nod. "Agreed. If I have to study for one more second, I'll explode."

Raven gave her a knowing look. "Yeah, because you haven't had as much time for sex."

Clarke had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. She should have known Raven would take the conversation there. It was as if she couldn't help it. Clarke had to admit that Raven wasn't wrong though. Having to study twenty four seven really cut down on the amount of time that she could actually spend with Lexa, having sex or otherwise. She knew that they were technically spending time together even when they were in the same room studying, but Clarke didn't count it. Even though she was tired of studying because it wasn't the most riveting thing to do, Raven was right when she insinuated that Clarke was ready to be done studying because she hadn't had sex in a week, and it was driving her crazy. However, she didn't want Raven to know this, so she splashed the other girl, smiling at Raven's screech of indignation. "That is not the reason. I just don't like studying."

"Right." Raven wasn't buying it.

"Fine. I will admit that is a large part of the reason." Clarke shot a wink at her friend.

"I knew it." Raven smirked, flicking water drops at the blonde.

At that moment, Anya plunged into the water between them, and Clarke glanced up in surprise. She looked hopefully up at the beach, but Lexa was still there, and the blonde's shoulders slumped in disappointment when she realized that her girlfriend would not be joining them. Clarke turned a questioning gaze on Anya, wondering why the older girl would leave her sister on the beach, but Anya was already speaking. "Are we getting into a splash war? Because I am here for that."

Clarke shook her head. She should have known that Anya wouldn't be able to resist something like that. "No, we are not getting into a splash war."

"But we could be," Raven suggested, and Clarke groaned internally.

Before Clarke could even tell the brunette not to get Anya started, she had sent a wall of water right into Anya's face, causing the other girl to scream as she tried to rub the salt water out of her eyes. "Raven, I wasn't ready!"

"Are we in second grade now? You never have time to get ready in war." Raven danced out of the older girl's reach.

Anya scowled, and she was about to chase after Raven when Clarke decided to get in on the so-called war, knowing that it would be boring to just stand around and watch the others, and she splashed Anya herself. Anya frowned, wiping at her eyes again before she opened them to reveal a teasing glint. "Oh, I see how it is."

Clarke began to run through the water in the same direction that Raven had gone in to get away from the other blond who was now chasing her. Anya sent a smirk in Clarke's direction. "That's right. You better run, Munchkin."

Clarke quickly ran to hide behind Lincoln in the hopes that he would protect her, but once he caught onto what was happening, he stepped out of the way, splashing Clarke as he chose to join Anya's team. Clarke looked up at him in betrayal. "Lincoln, how could you?"

He shot her an apologetic grin. "Raven's with you, so it's only fair that I'm with Anya."

Soon, the Blakes had joined the game as well, Octavia siding with Lincoln and Anya, and Bellamy with Raven and Clarke. It was definitely a great way to spend their time, filled with lots of teasing and laughing and running, and Clarke was glad that she could finally feel so carefree again after the stress of her exams. However, she knew that this moment would be a lot more fun if Lexa was with her. She looked up at where the brunette was lying and noticed a pair of familiar green eyes trained directly on her. She knew it would be a long shot, but Clarke waved her over, deciding to try and get her girlfriend to join her in the water. Unsurprisingly, Lexa shook her head, causing the blonde to sigh. She decided to let it drop, not wanting to pressure the other girl into doing something that she didn't want to, but when the blonde turned around, she realized that the others had caught onto what she had been doing. Their game slowly came to an end, and all began to beckon to Lexa, silently telling her to join them in the water. Clarke shook her head, knowing that they were more than likely wasting their time. To her surprise though, Clarke thought that she could see Lexa thinking about coming in. The brunette was far away, so Clarke couldn't be sure, but she decided that she wasn't going to waste this opportunity, and so she tried calling to Lexa again. She waved Lexa over, blowing her a kiss, and she cheered when she saw the brunette slowly rise from the sand before making her way down the beach and into the ocean.

When Lexa got in the water, Clarke watched as she carefully picked her way through the salty liquid and over to the blonde, the cautious look on her face never leaving for a second. When she finally stopped in front of Clarke, the blonde wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's waist, holding her close as she pressed a quick kiss to Lexa's lips in the hopes of comforting her. The blonde wanted to turn the kiss more heated, half because she knew that it would distract Lexa from the things that could be lurking in the ocean around them and half because she needed this contact after the stressful week, but Lexa pulled away, still wearing a frown on her face.

Clarke brought her hands up to cup Lexa's cheeks, pinching them gently. "No pouting. Be happy."

Lexa forced a smile. "Fine, Clarke. Is this better?"

Clarke sighed and nodded. "Yes."

She thought that it would be even better if the other girl's smile was genuine, but she knew that Lexa was extremely afraid of sharks, so it would be hard to get a genuine smile out of her at the moment. Clarke supposed that she should just be glad that the other girl was in the water with her, knowing that it was something the brunette rarely ever did. The blonde wouldn't make her girlfriend stay in long though. She could already note the other girl's rigid posture and the way that she was squeezing the blonde's hand in a death grip. It was actually starting to hurt, but Clarke wasn't going to complain if that was the price she had to pay for Lexa to be beside her in that moment. "I'm just glad you came in."

"You're just lucky I love you." Lexa was not amused.

Clarke easily agreed with her, seeing the truth in that statement. "Yes, I am."

At that moment, Clarke saw Anya coming up behind Lexa's shoulder. Clarke was about to smile at her, but the older girl pressed a finger to her lips, warning Clarke to be quiet. That's when Clarke realized what Anya was about to do, and she knew that she shouldn't let Anya do it, that she should blow the other girl's cover before she got close enough to do what she had planned. However, Clarke couldn't pass up the opportunity to see something that would most assuredly be quite funny, so she remained quiet, keeping all traces of recognition off her face as Anya snuck up on Lexa.

"Rarrrr!" Anya yelled as she grabbed onto Lexa's legs. The brunette jumped a foot in the air, letting out a bloodcurdling scream as she clung tightly to Clarke. The blonde started laughing hysterically, and she tried to calm herself a bit when she found that Lexa was holding onto her so tightly that she could barely breathe. Clarke began to rub Lexa's back soothingly, trying to comfort the other girl through her laughter because she couldn't help but feel a bit bad that she had let Anya do that to her sister when the brunette was already obviously so afraid.

"It's okay, Lexa. It's just Anya. There's no shark."

Lexa buried her face further into Clarke's chest, and the blonde knew that she was embarrassed at this point when she looked down to see the red color of Lexa's skin. "You guys are so mean," the brunette mumbled against her girlfriend.

Clarke finally wiped all traces of amusement off her face, but her lips turned up into a smile again when she realized that Anya could not stop laughing. The older girl had literally fallen over when it happened, making the moment all the more funny, and she was now clutching at her sides, unable to stop the uncontrollable laughter that was pouring past her lips. Clarke knew she should glare at Anya or scold her or something, but she couldn't help the fact that she had found it hilarious too. Lexa slowly untangled herself from her girlfriend, sticking her bottom lip out in a sulky frown when she noticed the smile that was still on the blonde's face. She glared at both her girlfriend and her sister before making her way out of the water and back onto the beach without a word, clearly a bit angry at them both for having done that to her. Clarke might have been afraid that the other girl was seriously mad at her had she not caught the reassuring glint in the brunette's eyes right before she turned to get out of the water. Clarke still felt a bit bad about the whole thing.

Once Lexa had gotten out of hearing range, Anya looked back at Clarke, not looking sorry at all. "Is this the part where you yell at me?"

Clarke shook her head, unable to keep the smile off her face despite her slight regret. "Nope. That was too funny. But I'm going to go after her. Maybe I'll lie out on the beach some more."

Anya nodded, clearly not having expected anything different. "Have fun."

Clarke got out of the water and scurried through the sand after her girlfriend, lying out on the towel that had previously been occupied by Anya. Lexa turned her head to look at the blonde, peering at her over the sunglasses that she had just put back on. "You don't have to stay up here with me."

"I know, but I want to," Clarke told her, making no move to leave.

Lexa opened her mouth to argue, but Clarke stopped her before she could even get a word out. "Will you just shut up and hold my hand?"

Lexa smiled, reaching across to grab the other girl's hand. "Now that I can do."

"I still hear talking," Clarke said teasingly.

Lexa stuck out her tongue in response, causing Clarke to laugh, and then they both fell silent, simply lying out on the beach together. Clarke could still hear her friends laughing and playing in the water, but she knew that there was nowhere she'd rather be at the moment than lying here with the feel of the sun on her skin and her girlfriend lying next to her.

* * *

Clarke entered the apartment that she shared with Lexa, glad to finally be home after a long day of hanging out with Octavia and Raven. She and her girlfriend now had their own apartment, which they had moved into after a year of living with Anya and Lincoln. It began to get too crowded, and Clarke and Lexa weren't getting as much alone time as they wanted, so they decided to get a place all to themselves. A year later, Octavia and Lincoln had decided to do the same, but luckily for Anya, Raven and Bellamy decided move in with her so that she could keep the apartment.

Today, Clarke and her friends had gone biking on one of Polis's bike trails. Clarke had quickly agreed at first, thinking that it would be extremely fun to ride through the forest with her friends, until they told her Lexa couldn't come. Raven had decided that it should just be the three of them. No significant others. This had made Clarke more reluctant to go, since she would have rather spent the day with Lexa, but the brunette said that it was fine and promised to be waiting for her when she got home. That's why Clarke was frowning now when she noticed that the living room was empty, and she realized that she couldn't hear any noises throughout the apartment. Her frown only deepened when she walked into her bedroom to find it empty as well. Lexa had promised that she would be there when Clarke got back, and the blonde couldn't help but worry that something might have happened to her. She thought about calling her girlfriend to find out where she was, but she decided against it, not wanting to come off as clingy. For all she knew, Lexa could've just run to the store really quickly, so she pushed her worry away. Plus, the sight of the bed in front of her was too tempting, and Clarke wanted nothing more than to lie down. She had wanted to take a nap with her girlfriend, but she sighed and settled on sprawling out on the bed herself to wait for the brunette to come home.

After a few minutes, Clarke rolled over, and she opened her eyes when she felt something crinkle beneath her. She realized that she had rolled onto a piece of paper that had been lying on Lexa's side of the bed. She wondered if Lexa had left her a note, but upon picking up the paper, she realized it was not a note at all. It was a series of lines with numbers written neatly next to them, leading to a big X. A treasure map, just like the one she and Lexa had made with Anya and Lincoln so long ago when they were kids. Clarke couldn't help the huge smile that spread across her face, having almost forgotten the trek she had made through the forest with the Woods children in search of The Flying Dutchman's treasure shortly after she had met them, and she suddenly felt much more awake.

Exiting the apartment, she walked the marked fifty paces down the hallway, turning right afterwards, following the instructions on the map. Clarke paused when she saw that the trail was leading her into the stairwell and seemingly going up. To the roof? She wondered why Lexa would want her to go up onto the roof, and she was suddenly skeptical, wondering if this was some kind of trap so that Lexa could get back at her for encouraging Anya at the beach last weekend. Curiosity got the better of her, and she pushed her way into the empty stairwell, counting her paces as she climbed the steps. When she opened the door to the roof, she saw that the last twenty paces led her straight to Lexa, who was looking right at her with a happy grin.

"What is this?" Clarke's brows furrowed in confusion as she walked over to stand in front of the love of her life.

"This is a date." Lexa gestured to the picnic blanket that was lying out on the ground beside her. "I brought all of your favorite foods, and you can pick the movie."

The picnic blanket was covered in an array of delicious foods of all different sizes and colors with Lexa's silver laptop sitting near the edge. The aroma of German chocolate cake, Clarke's all-time favorite dessert, made the blonde's mouth water, and she wondered if Lexa had baked it herself. She had a sneaking suspicion, though, that Lincoln may have helped her. He had always been the best cook out of the three of them. Clarke smiled at the sight of so many of her favorite foods, and she smiled wider when she realized that they were Lexa's favorites as well. Because of their childish habit of sharing food, they had taken to liking many of the same foods, and even though it was a little embarrassing, Clarke had to admit that they had begun to share food with each other again on occasion. Food aside though, Clarke wondered what was so special about tonight that they were going to eat on the roof rather than in their living room, and she was suddenly afraid she might be forgetting something important. "What's the occasion?"

"The occasion is that I love you, Clarke. I've loved you ever since I was little. I was so taken by you when we first met that I was prepared to let you use the pink car, which was my favorite, and I let you ride on my motorcycle the day after I met you when I wouldn't even let Anya and Lincoln ride on it most of the time. I just didn't know how I was feeling back then, or maybe I just didn't understand it, but when you ran into me outside of that coffee shop, I knew I was in love, and Anya helped me see that I always had been. In those years without you, I felt so lost, like I was just going through the motions, but when I saw you again, it was like lightning struck, and suddenly, everything was right. The only thing I learned in our years apart was that I never want to be away from you ever again. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, if you'll have me. I want to wake up every morning to your beautiful face and fall asleep every night with your arms wrapped around me."

Lexa ran a hand nervously through her hair. "When we were younger, we could never agree on an ending to our princess commander stories. You thought the prince and the princess should live happily ever after, but I thought that the prince should sacrifice himself to save the princess. I was jealous even then." Lexa shook her head at herself, smiling widely, and Clarke chuckled, eager to hear what Lexa would say next. "I hope that we can agree on an ending now. My family has always considered you to be a part of the family, and I would love to make that official." Lexa pulled out a small blue velvet box and got down on one knee. "So Clarke Griffin, my love, will you marry me?"

Clarke had to blink the tears out of her eyes as she answered easily. "Yes. Of course I will. I went into the Woods the day that we met, and I never came out. I never want to come out, so yes, I will marry you, Lexie. I would love to be a Woods."

Lexa slipped the ring on her finger, and Clarke had only a second to admire the way the emerald gem glinted in the fading sunlight before Lexa pulled her into a searing kiss. Clarke gripped the brunette's waist to bring her ever closer as she reciprocated it, turning it heated. She tried to pour every emotion she was feeling into the kiss, and she hoped that Lexa could feel it too. Clarke had been waiting for this day for so long, and she was overjoyed to finally be engaged to Lexa, to finally be on her way to becoming an official member of the Woods clan that she loved so much. She was so very ready to marry this girl that she loved more than life itself, because she wanted nothing more than to just be Lexa's for the rest of her life. After several passionate moments, Clarke pulled back to catch her breath, resting her forehead against Lexa's, and she knew she hadn't stopped smiling since the moment that Lexa had started talking.

Clarke was sure her smile got wider when she heard Lexa's next words. "And so, Commander Lexa finally got up the courage to ask Princess Clarke to marry her, and she was overjoyed when the princess said yes. The commander knew that she and the princess would have a wedding more lavish than any in all the lands and that the entire kingdom would come to witness it, and she knew that she would love her beautiful princess for the rest of her days."

"And they lived happily ever after," Clarke murmured, breathily, against the brunette's lips.

The huge smile that Clarke loved so much, the smile that was only reserved for her, spread across Lexa's face, and then the brunette finally said the last words of the story that neither of them had ever been able to say. "The end."


End file.
